Two commuter trains collided Wednesday in a Chicago suburb, a railroad spokesman said. Spokesman Dan Schnolis said he didn't know if there were any injuries. He estimated that about 60 passengers were on board the trains when the accident happened near the yard facility for the Metra Burlington Northern Santa Fe line in Aurora. The collision involved one inbound and one outbound train. The wheels of three commuter coach cars and one locomotive were off the tracks after the accident, Schnolis said.
Here is an account of the incident in one of the local papers. Running out of Chicago, all of the Metra trains are going forward with the locomotive in the front. The return trip is controlled from a small cab in the last passenger car while the train operates in push mode. Photos on the evening news of site did not show too much external damage to the equipment. While some cars were derailed, it appeared that they just came off of the tracks but were still in-line with the rails. > The Beacon News Trains collide near Aurora station Thirty-one injured on Metra; officials seek cause By Kelley Quinn STAFF WRITER AURORA — More than 30 people were treated at local hospitals after a commuter train arriving from Chicago slammed into another train as it pulled away from the Aurora Transportation Center Wednesday afternoon. Sixty people were aboard the two Metra trains when the collision occurred at about 3:30 p.m. near the rail yards on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line. Firefighters and emergency personnel from Aurora, Naperville, North Aurora, Batavia and Geneva responded to the scene. The impact knocked three commuter cars and one locomotive off the track, and caused dozens of injuries to passengers. Rescuers immediately roped off the area surrounding the site and tended to passengers. Some of the injured, many who were standing on the train arriving from Chicago, were carried off on stretchers. Others walked off the trains on their own, many with blood streaming from their faces. None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said. The most serious injuries included a broken leg, broken ribs and a bruised lung, hospital officials said. As rescue crews cleared the scene of victims, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the Federal Railroad Administration arrived to investigate just what caused the two trains to collide, according to Steven Forsberg, spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe. The investigation will consist of crew interviews, information from data recorders, including how fast the trains were going when the brakes were applied, data from the signal system, and recordings of conversations between dispatchers and train crews. Forsberg wasn't sure how fast the trains were going when they hit. He said speed limits in the train yards typically are 10 to 20 mph. John Scott, 50, of Oswego, commutes to Chicago for work each day. He was on the inbound train reading a book about popular trout streams when he felt the conductor throw the brakes. "The brakes slammed, and the next thing I knew I was flying in mid-air. I was, like, 'Oh, my God. What happened?" Scott said. "A lot of people were hurt when their heads hit the metal bar on the seats in front of them." Jonathan Feakins, 19, was sitting in the top level of the train en route to Chicago when the trains hit. He wasn't injured, but rushed to a conductor whose leg was injured. "I tried to help him but he just kept moaning. He wouldn't say anything," said Feakins, an Aurora resident. Many passengers walked off the train in a daze. They were directed into an area next to the tracks, just behind the U.S. Post Office, where police and firefighters offered ice packs and bandages for their injuries. "For the most part (passengers) were really calm," Aurora Fire Marshal Kent Becker said. "I think they were so caught off guard by what happened that they were in a state of shock." Train service from Chicago was restored several hours after the crash. A crane was brought in to get the cars back on track. Metra officials were telling commuters bound for Chicago today to show up at regular departure times. They were not sure whether every train would leave the Aurora station or whether some passengers would be transported to the Route 59 station. Staff writer Jim Faber contributed to this report. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/stories/a13train.html
