In February 2014, a passenger train in Chicago crashed into O'Hare International Airport, injuring dozens of people. It has been reported since then that the operator dozed off while driving the train, causing it to extend beyond the platform and crash into the airport. Chicagoist writes that the operator works an irregular shift, filling in where an operator is needed.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been conducting the investigation surrounding this incident. Fatigue of mass transit operators has shown to be a big problem in recent years. This year, after years of NTSB urgings, the Federal Aviation Administration adopted new rules designed to prevent pilot fatigue. Perhaps similar rules for train operators could help prevent further incidents like this from occurring.
Sign to the the Chicago Transit Authority to write rules regarding operator fatigue!
We, the undersigned, are writing to you today to ask the Chicago Transit Authority to put rules in place to try to prevent accidents like the one that resulted in a Blue Line train crashing into O'Hare International Airport. Federal investigators have said that the crash was caused by an operator falling asleep. This operator has been revealed to work irregular shifts. We hope that the CTA will not treat this incident as a fluke, but will instead follow the lead of the Federal Aviation Administration by putting rules in place to try to prevent incidents caused by operator fatigue.
Respectfully,
