Chicago Amtrak Crash 11/30/07 - Security Camera Footage!

[themer7238]

hey is this the train depot underneath I-294 a lil northwest of downtown chicago?

[railfanstreator94]

I don't know that line so I won't say for sure but if that engineer was actually going through the yard he should have been going slower and been thinking "You know since this is a yard there just might be a freight train on here" but no he had to go flying down the track and introduce the front of his train to the back of a freight train.

[coolcatevan9]

amtrak+ collision= SLAMTRAK

[airplanebuilderman]

slamtrak that's a good one

[MotelCambodia]

Pay day for the passengers

[CPRHudson2816]

who parks freight cars on a main line anyways?

[hudson501]

The freight train ahead may have been waiting at a red signal for another train to clear such as where two sets of tracks cross one another.

[donjuandonjuan]

that engineer is a Moron

[SkyhawkACE123]

@donjuandonjuan Engineer? How the hell was that his fault. He was simply doing his order; drive the train. It was the dispatchers fault for sending him on a track that had a parked train on it. He is the one who git fired because he didnt pay attention to look and see if that track was occupied. I cant belive you think it was his fault. Besudes he had only seconds to react, there was another train blocking his view.

[donjuandonjuan]

@SkyhawkACE123 If you noticed I, commented on this " 1 Year ago ".

We've got 0:12 seconds of footage. You've got Dispatcher's , Radio Communication , The Weather is Clear , He's in a " Train Yard " which ussually has a " Speed Limit " as to which an Engineer must obey one for frieght and one for passenger service.

The Engineer has obviously blowen a signal , ignored instruction's & is traveling at an " Excessive Speed " especially in a "Train Yard".

What about the Engineer ?. FAULTED.

[Dunnkw]

Damn, now look who's not paying attention. GCOR 6.28. Good thing i'm not runnin right now we'd have cars all over the place.

[Dunnkw]

When required to move at restricted speed trains must travel at a speed which allows them to stop within half the range of vision. Amtrak is not one to travel at restricted speed often. When in yard limits all movements must be made at restricted speed, if you are on a main track. If you're in the yard movement is governed by GCOR 6.26 (movement on other than main track which is almost word for word restricted speed. It looks like amtrak was not following the rules.

[Dunnkw]

Excuse me 6.27

[RDG484]

WOW!! Just look at how that rear car rose up at the impact.

[targetpractice13]

dont see that everyday

[WNxRadeon]

WTF??? lol

[OmahaTom]

Ouch.

[robertgift]

John, can't they dedicate a bypass track for passenger trains?

I thought they did that to avoid ruining schedules and to be safer.

Now I know passenger trains must adhere to same rules in yards and are granted no higher speeds. Thanks.

[robertgift]

Should both the engineer and dispatcher be blamed for not making it clear that a train was on the same track?

I would have thought they would not switch Amtrak onto a track where Amtrak would have to come to a halt behind a stopped train, especially when so close to the station.

Don't they keep a track open just for the many passenger trains? (Too bad they don't have a dedicated track.)

Thanks, John.

[robertgift]

Since when does a passenger train follwo restricted speed in a yard.

Doen't a passenger train get expedited?

Otherwise it takes much longer to get to the station.

[RCdash9]

They say that Amtrak's ridership is going up. But the governmental support is all bullshit.

[JSimp140]

this probably won't help the car shortage they have.

[cuttingwoodnow]

Quick brake hurt the passengers.

[jordanschepis]

d'oh

[Danapeople]

OPPS!!! whos fault is it: UP of amtrak, i would think both. remember, kids dont try this at home! Not!

[railfanner91019]

just goes to show Amtrak doesnt really have good employees!

[75249]

Actually Amtrak was not fully at fault. It was determined to be primarily caused by poor communication between dispatchers and crews. The dispatcher directed the train onto an occupied block without verbally notifying the engineer. The signal displayed had two meanings in this particular situation and the dispatcher was supposed to identify the meaning. However the engineer should have used the most restrictive meaning as default. So it was all caused by communication breakdown.

[jpboonexxvii]

This was not a "communication breakdown". It was the engineer's responsibility to follow protocol, as displayed by the signal's indication. The dispatcher's warning that there is another train ahead does not supercede the FRA's mandate that the engineer will proceed into the block prepared to stop (within 1/2 the distance of sight). In this case, the engineer simply failed to operate his train at a safe speed that allowed him to stop short of the train ahead.

[itsjustmattie]

The engineer confused the signal with one from a different railroad territory that he runs on. The dispatcher does not have to tell him that there is a train in the block. The engineer must run on signal indication. The indication he had was to proceed at restricted speed, being able to stop in 1/2 the distance of vision.

[robertgift]

His vision was restricted by the curve.

Was he to slow even further before entering the curve?

Had this been on a straight section, he would have been able to slow and stop, correct?

What is your summation of any later information?

Thank you.

Northwest of Denver, two trains collided head-on under U.S. 36. Fatality. Had either one been later or earlier, the would have seen each other.

This was one place they could not.

[TrainManTy]

Ouch! That train stopped very quickly. I wonder how many passengers got thrown out of their seats, that looked like quite a lot of G Forces acting on the passengers!

[kingdomboost]

so what if it was put on you tube.

[Jeff4098]

Another Choo Choo U "Puppy Mill" Engineer rushed through Wilmington, rushed into qualifying, with that know-it-all attitude.

[lexmarks567]

so the train was speeding trains speed all the time but the question is how did the 2 trains end up on the same train and why didn't the signal show red meaning stop cause the train was in the signal block. i wonder if the freghtrain ran a signal and went on the same train as the Amtrak

[Ham549]

It did show red the engineer just didn't pay full attation

[rox31313]

Negative, the signal was a restricting proceed and misread as a slow approach. They had permission to occupy the block, but were traveling too fast.

[irishany]

ooooooooooooooooooooooooh that gotta hurt!CoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLL

[DoogiePhilleep]

how did you get this before the stupid police

[yfloppydrive]

dude whoever posted this can get in trouble.Its been on the news also about how someone has put this on youtube.

[Stormtrooper112]

La la la la I am Amtrak durr dah hurrOH JESUS HUMP YARD.Also, to the people saying the driver was going too fast or it was his fault, it was more then likely the dispatcher's fault for letting a fucking Amtrak train drive right on through the NS hump yard.

[IBMeddling]

If the driver thought that this was the CTA blue line he would be going only ten miles an hour.

[geetarman00]

I work for NS whose line this occured on and was only 15 miles east of CP518 where this occured on a train. Just an FYI Restricting for Amtrak is read as being able to stop within 1/2 range of vision not exceding 20MPH. It is 15 for most freight trains. What is truly sad is that there were 2 engineers (one was for the recrew) and a conductor on the head end at the time of the accident. I hear they were actually going 36 MPH at the time. Thankfully there were no fatalities.

[derail14]

According to reports the amtrack had a red over yellow, Ie restricking signal which says no more than 15 mph prepared to stop short of any obstruction looking out for broken rail, Seems he obeyed that signal then pulled her out to road speed after he cleard the interlocking plant, Not a very bright thing to do as that is a fireable rule offence.

[chrisanderic]

ummm i hardly think this was done on PURPOSE, (in response to your 'not a very bright thing to do') and any one that works for ANY railroad knows that it's very easy to get distracted, which unfortunately happens to everyone at some point... regardless of your career. Just an unfortunate accident caused by a mental screw up. We've all had them, some much more serious then others.

[VIAF40PH]

Yes that's true but the railway companies take no prisoners. The crew is screwed and will all be fired as this was technically a preventable accident.

[Ham549]

"also the damage it took"

I know what a waste of a perfectely good freight car.

[saxojon6]

jdk i agree with hell ya they driver was goin way to fast for that zone dirvers falt and i also live in Chicago!

[jdk0517]

Im from chicago..

and i have rode many trains

in and out of chicago and have

never had any problems..

this is a tragic fuckin situation

i heard dude drivin the train should have

been doin 15 but was goin 40

and only had his certification for 3 months

fucked up shit

[rutlandrr]

There Is Something About A Train Thats Magic

[QueenCocoChanel1]

myy question is why this video is on the "comedy" category...this is not comedic at alllll..

[AutisticPsycho]

Because, it's comedic due to the stupidity of the driver.

[1200v]

ya what psycho said .... hmmm

[S00Tbirds]

though not that comedic when it comes to injuries (possibly deaths?) of who were in the train :/

also the damage it took

i really do hate people that find crashes and similar things to that "FUNNY" though, unless nobody gets hurt I guess it's okay but still

[1200v]

lame.

[S00Tbirds]

your mom is lame 0-;

[1200v]

and...... (o) dont u see sarcasm in my "original" post lol

[wilmette2210]

How did this get on you tube?

[2222kg]

how did you get this video

[LOVEJ824]

that train was going to fast that is a very congested area as it is showed i just think that we should have any of these families in our hearts when we pray

[twatts531]

how did you get this video?

[AZZ124567]

how did you get this its on ABC 7 Chicago WLS TV now, this was not supposed to be maid public at all, sir Andy Bowe

[twatts531]

i just saw that too!!

[ESLEFLTeacher]

It's amazing how the train just stopped so suddenly after it hit.

[StelyDn]

Ohhh, that's gonna leave a mark!!!

I live more than a mile away from the crash site.

I heard a thud!!!

[lirim78]

This just goes to prove: there is always a camera watching ! ! !

You Tube = Big brother's junk drawer