The Bourbonnais train accident occurred March 15, 1999 at 9:47pm Central (local) time in Bourbonnais, Illinois in the United States. The southbound Amtrak train 59, the City of New Orleans, hit a semi truck, loaded with steel, that was blocking a grade crossing. The accident resulted in the deaths of 11 of the train's passengers, 122 injuries and over US$14 million in damages. March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Time zones are areas of the Earth that have adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Bourbonnais is a village located in Kankakee County, Illinois. ... Amtrak is the trademark name of the intercity passenger train system created on May 1, 1971 in the United States. ... For the city itself, see New Orleans, Louisiana. ... Steel framework Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The United States dollar, or American dollar, is the official currency of the United States. ...

Upon impact, both of the train's locomotives and 11 of the train's 14 passenger cars derailed; the derailed cars hit two of the 10 freight cars on a siding next to the mainline. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributes the cause of the accident to the truck driver's reaction to the grade crossing signals. Thinking he could beat the train across the tracks, the driver chose to proceed onto the tracks in front of the train. The driver reported that the crossing signal didn't activate until his vehicle was "right on top of the track", but he also stated that he did not want to brake quickly to avoid a shifting load that could hit the back of the truck's cab. Witnesses stated that the gates came down after the truck had entered the grade crossing. One witness stated that the gate clipped the truck's trailer and that part of the gate may have broken off as a result. A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ... Restored passenger cars on display at the Mid Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI. A passenger car is a piece of railroad rolling stock that is designed to carry passengers. ... The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a U.S. government organization responsible for investigation of accidents involving aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads in the United States. ...

As a result of the accident the city of Bourbonnais errected a memorial to the people that passed away in the tragic accident. It can be seen on the intersection of Highway 45 and 102 across from Olivet Nazerene University.

NTSB recommendations

As a result of the accident, the NTSB made several recommendations:

To the highway maintainers:

• Review the effectiveness of current railroad grade crossing signals and the use of traffic division islands in deterring motorists from trying to drive around crossing gates.

To the United States Secretary of Transportation:

• Provide further grants and incentives to increase enforcement of grade crossing signals.

To the United States Federal Railroad Administration:

• Require the installation of event recorders to monitor gate position at new or improved grade crossings.

To the railroads:

• Initiate procedures to get accurate passenger and crew lists to emergency responders.
• Implement improved crew accountability procedures on reserved passenger trains.
• Install event recorders on all new or improved grade crossings.

The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. ... The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) was created in 1966 as a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation to promote safe, environmentally sound, successful railroad transportation. ...

References

• United States National Transportation Safety Board (August 5, 1999), NTSB to hold public hearing on Bourbonnais train accident. Retrieved January 27, 2005.
• United States National Transportation Safety Board (February 5, 2002), Railroad accident report: Collision of National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) train 59 with a loaded truck-semitrailer combination at a highway/rail grade crossing in Bourbonnais, Illinois, March 15, 1999 (PDF). Retrieved January 27, 2005.