CTA Yellow Line service resumes operations weeks following crash
CHICAGO (CBS) -- People can now take the Yellow Line train again after service was halted in November when a train crashed into a piece of snow removal equipment.
The first train rolled through the Dempster-Skokie station around 4:55 a.m. Friday - about 10 minutes behind schedule. Since then, there has been a consistent flow of trains.
It was the first time in seven weeks that trains were seen leaving the station. Passengers were on board eager to test out the newly improved Yellow Line.
"With the yellow line, we're just happy to see that it's back," said passenger Alek Madry. "You know, it's important, it's an important connection between uh an important suburb and the city, so, you know, stuff like that is just important for the city. We're just happy to see it back."
Service resumes on the yellow line nearly two months after a crash shut it down. Video taken at the scene following the accident shows some aftermath of a train hitting a snow removal machine in November near the Howard Street station in Rogers Park.
According to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report, 16 people were treated at local hospitals and released.
Service is back after being suspended for weeks but with some changes - including trains going 35 miles per hour instead of 55, more track cleaning, and an extra layer of communication between train operators and supervisors.
As for the investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report in December but did not rule out the cause of the crash. Federal investigators say they're looking at several factors, including debris on the track that impacted braking and incorrect braking distance estimates.
A press conference was held Friday morning after CTA leaders and Skokie officials rode the Yellow Line for the first time since the service halted in November. CTA President Dorval Carter explained why it took so long to reopen.
"The reason we took the time we did was to basically alleviate those fears," Carter said. "We put in place a number of mitigations that we all believe will ensure the safety of our riders if they use the Yellow Line and the bottom line, the message is, it is safe. It is safe for the Yellow Line; it is safe for our entire system."
The CTA would not comment on the investigation, only stating they wouldn't have reopened the yellow line for its commuters if they didn't feel it was safe for themselves.
