CHICAGO (WBBM/CBS 2) -- Authorities said Wednesda that operator error casued the fourth major breakdown on the CTA 'L' system in the past 22 months - 14 people were injured.VIDEO FROM THE SCENE
CTA President Ron Huberman said Wednesday morning investigators are looking at the signal system. It was later determined that the operator overrode the safety switch and ran a red light.
Fire Commissioner Raymond Orozco said 11 of the 14 injured passengers were transported in good condition, while three were in fair condition. None of the injuries is considered life threatening. All passengers appeared to be off the train within about an hour.
The 59th Street Junction, where the derailment occurred, is utilized by more than 100 Green Line trains a day, divided evenly between the two branches. It was last renovated during the Green Line reconstruction of the mid-1990s.
An EMS Plan II, automatically sending 10 ambulances, and still and box alarm were called at 10:10 a.m. for a reported derailment, according to Fire Media Affairs Asst. Director Eve Rodriguez.
Fire trucks with ladders and snorkels were sent to the scene to rescue the victims.
Two train cars on the four-car train appeared to be derailed, with the leading car abutting the one behind it at an angle of approximately 150 degrees. The train cars were separated at a switching point.
Ambulances were staged in a grassy area alongside the 'L' tracks, with red, yellow and green mats set up for passengers who might be in serious to critical, fair to serious, and good condition, respectively. About 15 people were sitting on the green mat, only a few on the yellow mat, and nobody on the red mat.
Green Line service has been suspended from 35th Street to the ends of each branch of the line, at 63rd and Ashland and 63rd and Cottage Grove. Power was turned off between 47th and 63rd streets.
Trains were being turned from south to north at 35th Street, and thus, the entire Green Line was experiencing delays.
This is the fourth major incident on the CTA that has forced evacuation and Fire Department attention in the past two years.
On July 11, 2006, a Blue Line train derailed in the subway between the Clark/Lake and Grand stops, causing a smoky fire to break out. About 150 people were hospitalized, mostly for smoke inhalation.
On Dec. 19, 2006, two cars of a four-car an Orange Line train headed for Midway Airport derailed near Roosevelt Road. No one was hospitalized, but 24 people were evacuated and eight were examined by paramedics.
This past April 15, passengers self-evacuated when a Blue Line became stuck due to mechanical issues near the Clark/Lake stop, prompting the CTA to shut down power and bringing massive chaos. The derailment caused 1,500 commuters to be stuck in the subway, some for more than two hours.
The worst mishap on the CTA was in 1977, when an eight-car Lake-Dan Ryan train bumped a six-car Ravenswood (Brown Line) train and crashed to the ground 20 feet below at Wabash Avenue and Lake Street. Eleven people were killed in that accident, including seven passengers, two people under the train, and two others whose location was never determined.
In the past, infrastructure problems have been to blame for several incidents on the CTA. It has yet to be determined whether infrastructure is to blame for the CTA derailment on Wednesday, but an investigation will follow.
Contents of this site are Copyright 2008 by WBBM. The STNGwire contributed to this report. AP contributed to this report. CBS 2 contributed to this report.
ACME Refining
Shred to the letter of the law... safely and securely.
Amtrak
With Amtrak there are no tolls, traffic or weather issues to deal with. Just big, comfortable seats and miles of breathtaking views and spend real quality time with family and friends. Call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL or click on our web link.
WBBM-AM 780 has been the consistent all news radio voice in Chicagoland for over 35 years and is now streaming online for free. Listen online to Chicago news as it happens around the clock, along with Chicago traffic, Chicago weather, Chicago sports and Chicago business. Subscribe to WBBM's free podcasts for additional Chicago business and Chicago community reports and listen to Chicago news on demand. WBBM news radio is also the home for Chicago Bears, Chicago Auto Show and Chicago Air & Water Show. www.wbbm780.com
On Dec. 19, 2006, two cars of a four-car an Orange Line train headed for Midway Airport derailed near Roosevelt Road. No one was hospitalized, but 24 people were evacuated and eight were examined by paramedics. 
