Naperville train disaster | |
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Details | |
Date | April 25, 1946 Approx. 1:02 PM |
Location | Naperville, Illinois |
Coordinates | 41°46′47″N 88°8′31″W / 41.77972°N 88.14194°W |
Country | United States |
Line | Chicago Subdivision |
Operator | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad |
Incident type | Rear-end collision |
Cause | Failure of second train to follow signal |
Statistics | |
Trains | Advance Flyer and Exposition Flyer |
Passengers | 150 (1st train) 175 (2nd train) |
Deaths | 45 |
Injured | Approx. 125 |
Damage | Diesel unit split rear passenger car; other cars dented and/or derailed |
The Naperville train disaster occurred April 25, 1946, on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad at Loomis Street in Naperville, Illinois, when the railroad's Exposition Flyer rammed into the Advance Flyer, which had made an unscheduled stop to check its running gear. The Exposition Flyer had been coming through on the same track at 80 miles per hour (130 km/h). There were 45 deaths and some 125 injuries. This crash is a major reason why most passenger trains in the United States have a speed limit of 79 mph (127 km/h).