Richard Wronski – Page 8

Smoke and flames erupt from the scene of a train derailment Thursday, March 5, 2015, near Galena, Ill. A BNSF Railway freight train loaded with crude oil derailed around 1:20 p.m. in a rural area where the Galena River meets the Mississippi, said Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Moser.

U.S. sets speed limit on oil-carrying trains in cities

May 22, 2019 at 7:47 p.m.

The federal government on Friday issued an emergency order imposing a 40 mph speed limit on trains that transport large amounts of flammable crude oil through highly populated areas like...

Metra trains await their next scheduled maintenance and departure at a rail yard at Roosevelt Road on April 10, 2015.

Metra, unions OK whistleblower-type program

May 22, 2019 at 7:47 p.m.

Metra, railroad unions and the Federal Railroad Administration on Thursday announced the start of a whistleblower-type program to allow crew members to confidentially report unsafe conditions or violations of operating...

A proposal offers to extend Illinois Route 53 north into Lake County as a tollway. If built, it could end up being the most expensive tollway to drive in the Chicago area.

Rauner faces new challenge with proposal for new Lake County tollway

August 18, 2019 at 7:15 p.m.

Along with solving the state's budget deficit and pension crisis, Gov. Bruce Rauner has another multibillion-dollar decision on his to-do list: Whether to green-light the controversial extension of Route 53...

A Tribune analysis found last week that more highly volatile crude oil passes through the Chicago area via railroad tank cars than anywhere else in the country. In some areas, including Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, oil trains roll within feet of residential housing.

NTSB cites Galena derailment in push for safer railroad tank cars

August 18, 2019 at 7:10 p.m.

Federal officials Monday called for the urgent replacement of railroad tank cars to make them more fire-resistant in the event of an incident like last month's fiery derailment near Galena...

A crude oil train sits on tracks in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on April 3, 2015. The high volume of volatile crude traveling through the area has raised concerns, and senators from six states recently urged federal regulators to act soon to approve tighter safety restrictions.

Chicago at heart of crude oil shipments, data show

August 18, 2019 at 7:09 p.m.

More highly volatile crude oil passes through the Midwest, specifically the Chicago area, via railroad tank cars than anywhere else in the country, according to newly released data from the...

Metra engineers work at the scene of a train derailment on Monday near Wabansia and Hamlin avenues on the North Side.

U.S., Metra investigate cause of derailment

May 22, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

Federal railroad officials and Metra are investigating the cause of Monday's derailment just before rush hour that caused the cancellation of 16 trains and delayed thousands of commuter rail passengers....

Passengers disembark at the Downers Grove Main Street station on the outbound Metra BNSF express train 1279 from Union Station on March 5, 2015.

Riders ‘hate it’: Metra’s least-reliable train on its worst-performing line

August 18, 2019 at 6:53 p.m.

Penny Marchiel, of Aurora, doesn't need evidence beyond her own experience to believe that her train ride home has been Metra's worst of the worst. "Absolutely. I hate it," Marchiel...

Galena derailment should put Chicago on alert, officials say

August 18, 2019 at 6:52 p.m.

The fiery train derailment Thursday near Galena should serve as a wake-up call for the state and the Chicago area to be better prepared in the event of a similar...

Aerial picture of the I-294/I-90 bridge interchange near O'Hare Airport in 2011.

Addams Tollway rebuilding project to begin next month

August 18, 2019 at 6:50 p.m.

One of the biggest projects of the 2015 road construction season is expected to start next month with the rebuilding and widening of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway between Elgin...

Metra's Electric District Line arrives at Millennium Station in Chicago on Tuesday. The south suburban line averaged only about one late train a month in 2014, the Tribune found.

The best and worst of Metra’s on-time performance

August 18, 2019 at 6:49 p.m.

Commuters who took Metra's Electric District Line trains to and from the south suburbs averaged only about one late train a month in 2014, while BNSF Line riders in the...

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