Crashes involving Amtrak trains appear rare. But the reality, especially west of Chicago, is that Amtrak trains themselves are infrequent. They run just three or four times a day to most Midwestern destinations. The great long-distance trains that head out west from Chicago — they have names like the Empire Builder, the California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief — run no more than once a day. Given that, they seem to hit trouble strikingly often.
Pain certainly came the way of the 200 or so passengers, including a troop of Wisconsin Boy Scouts, riding through Missouri Monday on the Chief. For the second time in two days, an Amtrak train struck a vehicle at a crossing. The accident cost at least four people their lives and sent 150 Amtrak travelers to hospital, some with very serious injuries. Imagine the outcry if something like that happened in the air, with one incident, involving the same common carrier, happening just one day after another.
The issue of train safety is, of course, a serious national issue, and incidents are far more frequent than is the case with the thousands of aircraft in U.S. airspace. Where Amtrak is concerned, it’s also a local issue since Amtrak’s Midwest operation is centered on Chicago and trains originate and terminate in Union Station. Any time there is an accident involving a long-distance train, the probability is high that residents of Illinois will feel the impact. And for that reason alone, this crisis deserves a lot more immediate attention from our local political leaders.
