CTA resumes operations on Yellow Line after incident

After an incident in November in which a Yellow Line train collided with snow equipment and 38 people were injured, the Chicago Transit Agency (CTA) have kept the line closed. 

 

Since the accident, CTA worked closely with the US based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), co-operating fully with its entire investigation while reviewing and re-evaluating safety protocols to ensure the safest and most comfortable service possible for its riders. CTA tested several trains across the Yellow Line in various weather conditions before declaring the line was ready to return to service. 

 

To optimise passenger and staff safety, CTA have put in place the following measures. From now on, trains will run at 35mph instead of the usual 55mph, the track will be thoroughly cleaned to remove any debris and enhanced communications protocol for rail cars and non-transport vehicles. The first few runs of the service will also contain extra supervisory personnel to further optimise safety. 

 

CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr said, '“My No. 1 priority for our customers and employees is safety. I wanted to make sure we looked at every aspect of this incident, as thoroughly as we could, to ensure the highest levels of safety when we reopened. I will never compromise safety for expediency.” 

 

The NTSB continues its investigation into the incident, including the factors that contributed to the incident. A final report is expected to be issued later this year.