UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
at its office in Washington, D. C.
on the 20th day of November 1972.
FORWARDED TO:
Mr. Alan S. Boyd, President
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad Co.
135 East Eleventh Place
Chicago, Illinois 60605
SAFETY RECOMMENDATION R—72-37 thru 40
The National Transportation Safety Board's continuing investigation of the collision of two Illinois Central Gulf Railroad (ICGRR) commuter trains at the 27th Street Station in Chicago, Illinois, on October 30, 1972, has revealed several important safety problems. Although the Safety Board has not established finally the role these problems played in causing the collision and in contributing to the fatalities, the problems are involved sufficiently to warrant immediate corrective action to prevent similar accidents.
The ends of the ICGRR Highliner cars are painted a flat black color, which makes it difficult to distinguish the cars in certain lighting and background conditions. Specifically, a train similar to Train 416 of October 30, standing or backing slowly in the vicinity of the 27th Street platform, is difficult to distinguish against the dull, dark background when it is viewed from the operating compartment of an approaching train on the same track.
The rear end of a Highliner train can be rendered attention—getting and distinguishable in several ways. The existing marker lights, which are small and not easily seen in daylight, could be replaced by marker lights of a larger size and greater intensity. The end portions of cars, now painted black, could be painted with large zones of fluorescent color or with alternating light and dark striping in order to contrast with typical railroad backgrounds.
