Feds Say Chicago Transit Partly to Blame for Airport Train Derailment

April 29, 2015

Federal investigators say the Chicago Transit Authority shares in the blame for an accident last year in which a commuter train operator fell asleep and crashed into a platform at the O’Hare airport station, sending the lead car barreling up an escalator.

The National Transportation Safety Board completed its investigation on April 28 and made nationwide safety recommendations, including that all U.S. transit agencies consider the effects of operator fatigue when preparing employee schedules.

The board also pressed for transit agencies to install new control systems that automatically apply a train’s brakes and prevent collisions if a driver fails to act.

The Chicago derailment happened just before 3 a.m. on March 24, 2014, when the exhausted driver was on her 12th straight day of work.

More than 30 passengers were hurt.

At least one negligence lawsuit has been filed against the Chicago Transit Authority on behalf of a passenger injured in the derailment.

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Topics Aviation

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