INADEQUATE CONGESTION PREVENTION, COMPLEX ROADWAY AND SIGNAL PATTERNS CAUSED 2005 ELMWOOD PARK, ILLINOIS HIGHWAY-RAILROAD CROSSING ACCIDENT, NTSB SAYS

[NTSB Press Releases <NTSBPressReleases@xxxxxxxx>]

Title: INADEQUATE CONGESTION PREVENTION, COMPLEX ROADWAY AND SIGNAL PATTERNS CAUSED 2005 ELMWOOD PARK, ILLINOIS HIGHWAY-RAILROAD CROSSING ACCIDENT, NTSB SAYS

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                      NTSB PRESS RELEASE
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 10. 2008
SB-08-26

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INADEQUATE CONGESTION PREVENTION, COMPLEX ROADWAY AND SIGNAL
PATTERNS CAUSED 2005 ELMWOOD PARK, ILLINOIS HIGHWAY-RAILROAD
CROSSING ACCIDENT, NTSB SAYS

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The National Transportation Safety Board today determined
that the probable cause of an accident that occurred at a
highway-railroad grade crossing in Elmwood Park, Illinois
was a combination of factors including the intersection
angle, the heavy holiday traffic and the complex street and
rail pattern and related signal interactions at the
intersection.

"Despite the efforts of state and local authorities to
address the safety concerns at this large and complicated
grade crossing with a variety of signage and technology
improvements, this accident occurred because these changes
still failed to prevent vehicles from being trapped inside
the crossing gates," said NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker.
"What is needed is a permanent solution to prevent future
accidents between trains and automobiles at this highly
congested intersection."

On November 23, 2005, the day before Thanksgiving, at 4:41
p.m., in Elmwood Park, Illinois, a traffic queue formed
within the 366-foot-wide signaled Northeast Illinois
Regional Commuter Railroad (METRA) highway-railroad grade
crossing on eastbound West Grand Avenue. At the same time,
METRA train 107 was approaching the crossing on the
westbound tracks at a speed of 70 mph, as indicated by event
data recorder information. The crossing lights were
activated and the crossing gates lowered 54 seconds before
the train arrived. The traffic queue trapped some stopped
vehicles within the grade crossing.

As METRA train 107 approached the crossing, the engineer
recognized the hazard and put the train into emergency
braking. The train was unable to stop before colliding with
approximately 6 of the stopped vehicles, pushing them into
secondary impacts with 12 other vehicles.  Seven automobile
occupants received minor-to-serious injuries, and 3 of the
approximately 400 train passengers reported minor injuries.
The impact destroyed 6 vehicles, and 12 vehicles had minor-
to-extensive damage. The locomotive incurred minor damage
and did not derail.

The report adopted by the Board today states that this grade
crossing is the widest in the State of Illinois and has been
the location of 45 accidents between 1956 and November 2005,
resulting in a total of 7 fatalities and 27 injuries.

The Board report also notes that the Village of Elmwood
Park, in conjunction with the Illinois Department of
Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Commerce Commission
(ICC), had undertaken several initiatives to improve the
safety of the grade crossing in recent years, but that
congested traffic conditions continue to cause safety
problems in this location.

As a result of its investigation, the NTSB made a
recommendation to the Governor of Illinois to require the
ICC and IDOT to construct a grade separation in place of the
West Grand Avenue grade crossing, and provide the necessary
resources to effect this change.

A synopsis of the Board's report, including the probable
cause and recommendation, is available here, under "Board
Meetings". The Board's full report will be available on the
website in several weeks.

# # #

Media Contact: Bridget Ann Serchak
                (202) 314-6100
                Bridget.serchak@xxxxxxxx

 
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