1995 Fox River Grove bus–train collision

The Fox River Grove level crossing accident refers to a bus / train collision that killed seven students in Fox River Grove, Illinois. On October 25 1995 at 7:10 AM CDT, Metra train number 624, traveling approximately 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) at the time of impact, slammed into the back of a school bus carrying students to Cary-Grove High School at the intersection of Algonquin Road, Northwest Highway (U.S. Highway 14) and a double-tracked train line belonging to the Union Pacific Rail Line. The resulting impact ripped the top portion of the bus from the carriage and threw the wreckage into the intersection of U.S. 14 and Algonquin. Five students were killed instantly; two later died from their injuries. Another 21 were injured, some critically. Most victims suffered blunt trauma and head injuries.

The accident stands as the worst accident involving a Metra train in its history, and one of the worst level crossing accidents in U.S. history. However, the accident proved to be a watershed moment in rail safety as legislation and reengineering of crossings across the state helped to prevent similar accidents from reoccurring.

The crossing where the accident happened was renamed Seven Angels' Crossing in memory of the victims.

Victims

• Jeffrey J. Clark, 17
• Michael B. Hoffman, 14
• Joseph A. Kalte, 16
• Shawn P. Robinson, 14
• Tiffany Schneider, 15
• Stephanie Fulham, 15
• Susanna Guzman, 18

Causes

Failure of Judgment

The primary cause of the accident was the failure of the bus driver, Patricia Catencamp, to properly judge the distance between the railroad tracks and the vehicle stopped at a traffic signal across the tracks. The failure of judgment meant that around 3 inches (7.6 cm) of the back end of the bus hung over the nearest rail. The body of the Metra train extended three feet (one meter) past the rail. All of the injuries were sustained during this initial impact.

Highway Reconstruction

However, like most transportation accidents, there were other conditions present that created an environment in which this type of accident could occur. These causes take root in the history of the road, the railroad, and the crossing.

Prior to the early 1990s, the Northwest Highway ran as a two lane road (one lane in each direction) parallel to the Chicago & Northwestern rail line (Union Pacific after 4/95). The distance between the road and the railroad is relatively constant in the state -- roughly 60 feet (18.2 meters), assuming a two lane road and impedement-free alignment. This distance was more than enough to hold a 40 foot (12.2 meter) bus.

When the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reconstructed the highway to encourage development in the area and limit congestion, three lanes were added to the road to create a four-lane highway with turn lanes at the intersection. To limit the impact of the road expansion to businesses on the northern side of the highway, IDOT reduced the distance between the road and the railroad from 60 feet to around 25 feet (7.6 meters). They also erected a modernized traffic signal to ensure traffic cleared the crossing in front of an approaching train. These actions increased the chances of a train impacting a school bus, but were not leading causes.

Crossing Design

The type of crossing where the accident occurred is known as an interconnected crossing because of the need to link railway signals with roadway signals to ensure safe passage. On this particular route, bus drivers on Algonquin Road had been known to cross the tracks to stop at the line at Northwest Highway, leaving them vulnerable to a passing train. Either a roadway signal was missing prior to the railroad crossing, or both the signal at the railroad crossing and the roadway crossing were timed identically, causing vehicles to be trapped in between and on the tracks.

Timing Miscommunication

According to tests conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board, the warning lights on the railroad crossing activated 20 seconds before the arrival of the Metra train. However, the traffic light clearing the rail intersection only allowed cars to clear 18 seconds after the railway signals activated, giving vehicles only 2 to 6 seconds to clear the tracks. Roadway signal timing was under the jurisdiction of IDOT, while railway timing was under the jurisdiction of Union Pacific. No communication took place between both parties with regards to interconnected signal timing.

Consequences

Statewide, 188 other interconnected crossings were inspected for hazardous conditions. Of these, 24 had similar problems, and were repaired.

Lawsuits were filed the month after the crash, and the last of these was resolved in January of 2004. A total of $27.3 million was paid to the victims; of this amount, the school district paid $16.2 million, as school districts are held responsible for the actions of their drivers. The Union Pacific Railroad and Metra paid $7 million. Engineering contractors and the Illinois Department of Transportation settled for $3.2 million and $750,000 respectively.

External Resources

• Original CNN story about bus crash
• Abstract of the NTSB Safety Report
• Chicago Tribune story on 10-year anniversary of crash (registration required)
• Northwest Herald story on 10-year anniversary of crash