Metra Train Derailment in Des Plaines, IL

A Metra train derailed in suburban Des Plaines, IL, this morning when the train reportedly struck a dump truck at Northwest Highway and Mt. Prospect Roads. The train accident occurred around 8:40 this morning. The train, number 636, was reportedly heading inbound from Harvard when it struck the truck at the crossing around 8:40 a.m. Witnesses to the train crash described a horrific scene of confusion as the train cars filled with smoke and tilted following a large explosion. Reports indicate that some passengers were jumping out of train windows at both the first and second levels. Witnesses heard no horn or brakes prior to the Chicago train accident.

The truck was reportedly carrying a load of concrete and was operating northwest on Northwest Highway. Police have indicated that the truck may have turned left onto Mt. Prospect Rd. and through the train crossing. The Metra train eventually came to rest about 200 yards east of Mount Prospect Rd. As many as 800 passengers were aboard the train when the accident occurred and reports have indicated that at least 17 suffered train accident injuries. Information regarding the Chicago train derailment still remains somewhat limited.

Statistics show that a railroad accident occurs approximately every two hours in the United States. The Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Safety Analysis has revealed that there were 13,067 railroad related accidents in 2007 resulting in 851 deaths and 8,801 non-fatal injuries.