1972 Chicago commuter rail crash
| 1972 Chicago commuter rail crash | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Date | October 30, 1972 |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Line | Electric Suburban service |
| Operator | Illinois Central Gulf |
| Incident type | Rear-end collision |
| Cause | Train backed into signal block |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Deaths | 45 |
| Injured | 332 |
A collision between two commuter trains in Chicago occurred during the cloudy morning rush hour on October 30, 1972, and was the worst such crash in Chicago's history. Illinois Central Gulf train 416, made up of newly purchased Highliners, overshot the 27th Street station on what is now the Metra Electric Line, and the engineer asked and received permission from the train's conductor to back the train to the platform. This move was then made without the flag protection required by the railroad's rules. However, his train had cleared automatic block signals which cleared express train 720, made up of more heavily constructed single level cars, to continue at full speed on the same track. The engineer of the express train did not see the bilevel train backing up until it was too late. When the trains collided, the front car of the express train telescoped the rear car of the bilevel train, killing 45 people and injuring 332.[1][2]
References[]
- ^ "1972, October 30: Illinois Central Commuter Train Crash". Chicago Public Library. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
- ^ Morgan, David P. (January 1973). "7:38 A.M., October 30, 1972". Trains Magazine. Milwaukee, WI: Kalmbach Publishing. 33 (3): 3–6.
External links[]
- National Transportation Safety Board. Railroad Accident Report: Collision of Illinois Central Gulf Railroad Commuter Trains, Chicago, Illinois Oct. 30, 1972. Report # NSTB RAR-73-5.
- List of crash dead identified - Clipping from Chicago Tribune - Newspapers.com
Works cited
- Shaw, Robert B. (1978). A History of Railroad Accidents, Safety Precautions and Operating Practices. pp. 361–363. LCCN 78104064.
 Chicago articles | |
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Railway accidents in 1972 | |
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| Location and date |
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1971   1973 | |
Coordinates: 41°50′42″N 87°36′49″W / 41.8449°N 87.6137°W
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