Dozens Injured in CTA Train Crash in Chicago’s Rogers Park Neighborhood
CHICAGO (WLS) — A CTA train crash in the city’s Rogers Park neighborhood on Thursday morning left at least 38 people injured, with three in critical condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
The incident occurred around 10:39 a.m. near 7500 N. Paulina, close to the Howard Street Stop along the Red and Yellow lines. A two-car Skokie Swift train traveling southbound collided with a CTA snow removal vehicle also traveling southbound in the Howard rail yard, officials said.
Of the injured, 23 were transported to hospitals while 15 others refused medical care. CFD reported that seven of the injured individuals were CTA personnel. The conditions of those hospitalized range from serious to fair.
The crash has raised questions about why heavy snow removal equipment was on the same track as a Yellow Line train. “All I know is the passenger train was traveling at its normal speed, if you will, if they didn’t tell me what it was. And the other vehicle was not traveling very fast at all. They were on the same track,” said CFD 2nd District Chief Robert Jurewicz.
As a result of the crash, both Yellow and Purple line services have been temporarily suspended. Yellow Line riders have been advised to use the #97 Skokie bus route as an alternative.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement expressing concern for those affected by the crash and gratitude for first responders. “Our thoughts are with all affected, and we are grateful for our brave first responders on the scene. We are working closely with emergency services as we continue to monitor this incident,” the mayor said in the statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board stated that an investigation into the collision has been launched in collaboration with Chicago police and CTA officials.
The details of the crash are still being investigated, but the incident has once again raised concerns about commuter safety and infrastructure oversight.