RAILROAD ACCIDENT REPORT: CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY COLLISION OF TRAINS NO. 104 AND NO. 315 AT ADDISON STREET STATION, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, JANUARY 9, 1976

On January 9, 1976, at 8:06 a.m., Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train No. 315 struck the rear end of train No. 104 while it was standing at the Addison Street Station platform in Chicago, Illinois. The impact forces extensively damaged the lead car of the moving train and the rear car of the standing train, and slightly damaged the other cars in both trains. Damage to the equipment and track was estimated to be $267,000. Of the 381 passengers who were injured in the collision, 1 passenger died. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the motorman of train No. 315 to perceive standing train No. 104 at a sufficient distance to permit him to stop his train before striking No. 104. Contributing to the collision were the rule that permitted the operation of the train with the automatic train control and the cab signals inoperative, the lack of consistent enforcement of operating rules, the absence of flag protection against following trains, the failure of the train phone system to provide reliable communications, and the violation of the 25-mph speed limit required by Rule 178B.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  Office of Surface Transportation Safety
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1976-7-8

Media Info

• Pagination: 36 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic control; Automatic train control; Braking performance; Cab signals; Communication systems; Crash injury research; Crash investigation; Crashes; Disasters and emergency operations; Human factors; Operating rules; Passenger transportation; Positive train control; Railroad stations; Railroads; Rapid transit; Regulations; Research; Speed limits; Traffic safety; Traffic signal control systems; Urban areas; Visual perception
• Identifier Terms: Chicago Transit Authority
• Uncontrolled Terms: Emergency procedures
• Geographic Terms: Illinois
• Old TRIS Terms: Rapid transit railways; Signal systems
• Subject Areas: Law; Passenger Transportation; Public Transportation; Railroads; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00143329
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB-RAR-76-9
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 17 1981 12:00AM