The Latest Breaking News from CTA

The operator of a Chicago commuter train that collided with snow-removal equipment last month knew the machine would be on the line that day but wasn’t aware of its exact location, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board released Tuesday

The National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on CTA rail signals, railcar brakes and track conditions as it tries to determine why the train couldn’t avoid hitting the snowplow near the Howard Street station.

A reopening date for the line, which handles about 1,500 commuters every weekday, hasn’t been set. A southbound train struck a snow plow on tracks near the Howard stop.

The CTA holiday train returned Friday afternoon, bringing thousands of lights and Santa’s sleigh to the city’s Green and Orange Line tracks.

Chicago city transit officials have said L service is getting back on track. Hundreds of riders who answered a WBEZ survey aren’t so sure.

One was filed on behalf of Zubair Hussain, who was knocked unconscious by the impact and hospitalized for three days, his lawyers said.

Sun-Times reporter Sophie Sherry and transportation expert Joseph Schwieterman appeared on WBEZ’s Reset to talk about the recent CTA Yellow Line crash and what it means for train safety.

The CTA has said very little about last week’s Yellow Line crash. Even so, the incident is set to become another example of the transit agency’s woes, highlighting its shortcomings and failure to implement the latest technology.

People living in communities south of 95th Street will benefit from historic investment, including the Red Line Extension and Metra Electric improvements, that will transform these areas from being transportation deserts.