CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority’s Yellow Line remains shut down today (Monday, Nov. 27) as the Thanksgiving holiday period ends, some 11 days after the Nov. 16 collision between a Yellow Line train and a snowplow that injured 38 people.
WLS-TV reports that the CTA has not offered any estimate when the line will reopen and did not respond to a request for comment. A notice on the CTA website simply says that service “continues to be temporarily suspended following a recent incident at Howard” and that shuttle bus service is available.
The National Transportation Safety Board had estimated the line could be closed for up to five days while it conducted its investigation. The NTSB has said a design problem with the braking system played a part in the incident [see “NTSB chair says ‘design problem’ …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 18, 2023].
The Yellow Line, previously known as the Skokie Swift, is a three-station, 4.7-mile branch of the L system handling about 1,500 passengers per day.
I have not heard any stories about the trains over-shooting the stations all these years. Apparently the motormen know how to stop their trains. Take your pictures, do your measurements and get the line open. Bureaucrats!!!
Clearly the NTSB’s estimate that the CTA’s Yellow Line would be closed for “five days” has been exceeded. Yes, it sounds like the ‘braking problem’ cited by the NTSB might be more severe that originally understood and per Mr. Jones’ comment above, perhaps this braking (design) issue applies to El-cars/rolling stock operating on other CTA routes?
Strange the line is still shut down. Maybe this braking problem has become very serious that no one realized before? Could it be FTA has shut down the line until a fix is made?
A bigger worry might be determining if the braking problem extends to the whole “L” system?
Circumspection obligates!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Yellow Line, aka Skokie Swift, is a remnant of the CNS&M Skokie Valley Line to Milwaukee. CTA started the operaton after CNS&M ceased operating in 1963.
Skokie Shops is on the line and the “snowplow” may well have been a training run to qualify crews on the equipment.