Initial Report on Chicago Train Crash That Caused $9.1M Damage

A preliminary report by federal safety investigators says there wasn’t enough distance between an automatic emergency braking mechanism and the end of a train track at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Monday released its preliminary report into the dramatic March 24 train crash at the airport’s underground station.

The one-page analysis says the train was traveling at 26 mph when it passed a “trip stop,” activating an emergency braking system. But there wasn’t enough distance between the signal and the end of the platform given the train’s speed.

More than 30 people were injured.

The train operator admitted she had dozed off before the crash. The Chicago Transit Authority fired her last week.

The NTSB says the crash caused $9.1 million in damage.