The derailed train. (Credit: Chicago Fire Department)

Chicago Transit Authority resumed service Friday on its Yellow Line rail route, nearly two months after a crash between a train and piece of maintenance equipment injured nearly 40 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has yet to issue a final report on the accident but after conducting “comprehensive analysis and testing,” CTA officials said service was restored with “several interim safety enhancements” in place.

Those measures include reduced speeds of 35 miles per hour versus the normal 55 miles per hour. Supervisory personnel will also accompany operators on the first few Yellow Line runs, CTA said.

“The NTSB did not require CTA to implement these safety enhancements; these mitigation measures are being made out of an abundance of caution to further protect our employees and riders,” Nancy-Ellen Zusman, CTA chief safety and security officer, said in a statement.

The crash occurred Nov. 16 when a Yellow Line train collided with snow-removal equipment on the same track, near the Howard Street station. Three people were seriously injured.

NTSB's preliminary investigation indicated an issue with the train’s braking system. The agency said it would take 12 to 18 months to issue a final report and recommendations.

The Yellow Line, also known as the Skokie Swift, runs between Skokie and the Howard Street station in Chicago. In 2015, service was disrupted for five months following an embankment collapse.

According to the most recently published ridership report from CTA, the Yellow Line carries approximately 1,500 riders per weekday. Ridership on the line had been up more than 20% in 2023 versus 2022.  

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]