Illinois Train Accident Lawyers

NTSB Cites Operator's Actions In Chicago Train Derailment

For Immediate Release: November 23, 2005

NTSB Again Calls For Positive Train Control

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board has adopted a final report on its investigation into the derailment of a commuter train in Chicago in 2003, saying that the train's engineer failed to observe and comply with signal indications. At the same time, the Board again called on the Federal Railroad Administration to require positive train control systems that would prevent this type of accident in the future.

On October 12, 2003, Metra train 519, from Chicago to Joliet, Illinois, derailed its two locomotives and five passenger cars as it traversed a crossover on the Rock Island Line in Chicago. The train derailed at a recorded speed of 68 mph, where the maximum authorized speed was 10 mph. Three of the 378 persons aboard the train were admitted to a hospital for observation. Damages from the accident exceeded $5 million.

As with many previous rail accidents, the Board determined that a Positive Train Control (PTC) system would have prevented the accident. PTC requires the engineer to comply with signal indications or the train will automatically be brought to a stop. The Board reiterated a recommendation it had made to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in 2001, to require the implementation of PTC on mainline tracks, and specifically recommended that Metra install such a system on its track. PTC installation is on the Board's Most Wanted List of safety improvements.

On September 17, 2005, another Metra commuter train derailed close to the location of the October 2003 accident, killing two passengers. Safety recommendations related to this accident are anticipated in the near future.
 

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