Amtrak crew suspended as collision is probed

An investigation into what caused Amtrak and Metra trains to collide June 3 at Union Station continues, but three employees with the national passenger railway have been suspended without pay.

Twelve people were injured when the Carbondale-bound Amtrak train and inbound Metra BNSF Line train bumped into each other during the morning rush.

Amtrak officials said it was routine procedure to take an operating crew out of service after such an incident. The three employees are the engineer, conductor and assistant conductor. If the investigation finds no one at fault, the crew will be compensated for its time off, spokesman Marc Maglieri said Friday.

Amtrak controls the track switches in the area where the collision occurred.

Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said the commuter rail agency had not taken any crew members out of service. After an internal review, “there were no apparent violations,” she said. “Everything seems to be in working order.”

The speed zone where the accident happened was 15 mph, and the Metra train was traveling at 12 mph.

Federal Railroad Administration officials said they had not yet finished a review of the incident.