Amtrak Accident

[amtrak1007]

P-371-30 Amtrak 8 west rear ended a freight train around 52nd and Shields. 3 passengers injured, 1 Engineer was removed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital (according WGN Chicago) approx 150 passengers were aboard, including a school trip.

Will update throughout the day.

-G

[AARR]

Did this happen in lower Michigan?

[SW]

South side of Chicago

[amtrak1007]

Slow speed accident

the engine road up on the rear of the preceding train by about 25'

1 engineer walked away, the other was removed on a stretcher.


-G

[amtrak1007]

The accident looks to have happened between Englewood (METRA crossing) and CP 518


From CNN.com

At least five Amtrak crew members were critically or seriously injured Friday when their train collided with a freight train traveling on the same track, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

The Amtrak train's engine rests atop one of the freight train's cars.

He said two people were "critically" injured; five were hurt "seriously."

About 100 of the 150 passengers were "walking wounded," he said, injured when the train came to a sudden stop. Medical personnel was examining them.

[rob]

we had two employee deadheading to chicago on that train. i hope that the are not hurt, but the rr is sending a new crew to b'ville. so they must be coming home. Rob

[Grandville]

Live streaming video at www.woodtv.com.

<edit> It's down at 2:35

[amtrak1007]

Latest Information I have available

Regular Engineer is Critically Injured - removed from the site by stretcher.
Student Engineer was able to walk from accident site
Conductors and Lounge Attendant were listed by Cook Co. hospital as in serious condition.

There were 5 passengers that were also sent to that hospital one of which was a child. All are expected to make a full recovery.

*PRELIMINARY* information was that the train was given a "restricted" signal before the accident located about Englewood (METRA Crossing)

Whiteness reports the accident as "abrupt" but nothing more than a fender bender car accident.

Consist
Engine #8
Snack 35008
Coach 34XXX
Coach 34054

[~Z~]

CNN article:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/30/trains ... index.html

Interesting quote:

Coert Zanderhill, 60, of Holland, Michigan, said he is a frequent passenger on the train and had never experience problems before.

Zanderhill said there was no warning before Friday's accident.

"There was no braking," he said.

[OwlCaboose2853]

5 seriously injured in Amtrak crash

...Footage from the accident site showed the front of an Amtrak propped up above a freight train in a Norfolk Southern railyard near the 5200 block of South Shields Avenue. Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said five Amtrak staff members were reported in serious to critical condition, including two that had to be cut from the front engine car, which was the only car that derailed around 11:30 a.m.

News and Video; http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... b01_layout

[amtrak1007]

I was watching CNN and saw that segment. From what I can gather it *MAY* have been a mistaken signal. At the location that I gather the accident happened, a Slow Approach and a Restricting may have been confused. I would like to emphasize that this is nothing more than my conjecture.

[J T]

Wow, not only is the engine on top of the intermodal car, it's also on TOP of the container. I'm surprised it "ramped up" on top of the car so far like that. Must have been quite a sight to witness.

Thankfully no one died and there aren't any life-threatening injuries.

[amtrak1007]

CHICAGO (AP) -- An Amtrak train plowed into the back of a freight train Friday on the south side of the city, seriously injuring five Amtrak employees in an engine car that hurtled to a stop atop a crushed boxcar. Most of the 187 passengers walked away.

Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said none of the passengers appeared to have suffered serious injuries when the Amtrak train came to a "very hard stop," but were being checked by medical personnel. Some were taken away on stretchers and backboards.

The Amtrak's three double-decker passenger cars remained upright, officials said. Most of the damage was concentrated on the passenger train's engine, and no one was in the portion of the freight train that was struck.

There were 187 passengers and six crew members aboard the train, traveling from Grand Rapids to Chicago when the accident occurred in a rail yard south of Union Station, Amtrak spokesman Derrick James said.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending investigators. James said of particular interest is what the signals were before the Amtrak train got to the area where the collision occurred.


We just got the NAVY car home this morning. From the CNN footage, I have seen that the conductors and the Student Engineer were able to walk away, and the Engineer was taken away in a stretcher. The condition of the LSA is unknown.

Consist as I remember it from last night.

AMTK 8
AMTK 35008
AMTK 34002
AMTK 34054

[amtrak1007]

Update. The engineer was also recrewed this morning out of GR, I would think that they would have run out of time by the time that the accident occurred...

[Raildudes dad]

The condition of the LSA is unknown.

Do you mean SLE, Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers?

[amtrak1007]

The condition of the LSA is unknown.

Do you mean SLE, Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers?

LSA = Lounge Service Attendant (Café car)

[Raildudes dad]

LSA - that's a new one on me, I've never heard that before Sorry about the post over on the other board . I thought I had asked once but couldn't find it, then I found it after I posted the second time

[amtrak1007]

Video of the accident.

http://www.rfdi.info/amtrak.wmv

[Scooterb]

WOW that video is good.
Taken from the Chicago police camera.

[jukeman]

That video makes me very sad for the crew members and passengers who got hurt. I cant believe how they weave the train through all that activity.