Train Derails in Northbrook
No serious injuries, Metra and Amtrak unaffected
Updated 5:59 PM CST, Sun, Nov 1, 2009
Seventeen cars derailed Sunday afternoon after a freight train hit another train in suburban Northbrook. The accident involving 15 to 20 cars happened on an Amtrak commuter trail.
None of the three people who were on the freight train were seriously injured, according to Northbrook Village President Sandra Frum.
"It appears there will be no impact on the commuter rails," Frum told Chicago Breaking News.
A strip mall near the accident scene was evacuated as a safety measure, authorities said. Shermer Road has been closed between Willow and West Lake Avenue because of the accident, Traffic.com reported.
Firefighters on the scene were using a cherry picker to assess the damage caused by the derailment. Two train cars were hanging over the line that runs across Shermer Road south of Willow Road. Another car was on the ground under the overpass, with its cargo spilled onto the ground.
The train belongs to Canadian Pacific Railway, according to a spokesman for the Minneapolis-based company.
This is the second freight train derailment in the area in little over a week. On Oct. 22, a freight train derailed downtown, snarling Metra traffic for days.
Service for Amtrak and Metra was not affected, spokespeople for both companies said.
Copyright SunTimes
First Published: Nov 1, 2009 3:41 PM CST
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
