A Red Cap cart falls on passengers at Chicago's Union Station.
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/newlyweds-traumatized-passenger-amtrak-chicago/
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/newlyweds-traumatized-passenger-amtrak-chicago/
Red Cap cart falls on track and passengers at Union Station in Chicago
- Thread starter StanJazz
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No excusing poor operation of any motor vehicle but this is an example of why those platforms need to be widened. They are unsafely narrow. I've seen some hair-raing quick turns by red caps, surprised this hasn't happened more.
Well, I never use Red Caps in Chicago, now I will make sure and continue to not use them. The only place I use them with any consistency is NYP for early platform access.
While the Chicago platforms are narrow, the video clearly shows it wasn't crowded and the Red Cap wasn't trying to avoid something. He simply was not paying attention and let the cart drift. Clearly his fault.
While the Chicago platforms are narrow, the video clearly shows it wasn't crowded and the Red Cap wasn't trying to avoid something. He simply was not paying attention and let the cart drift. Clearly his fault.
Seeing the video of the Red Cap cart going off the edge of the platform, dumping its passengers onto the tracks below, and then falling onto the woman passenger, trapping her underneath, was a sobering wake-up call for us. Over the years, we’ve used these carts to get from the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge to our trains and on a few occasions, while dodging “walkers” and other carts, it seemed like our cart was at the very edge of the platform, too. We never fully appreciated the real risk involved, trusting to the experience of the driver to properly judge distances and keep us safe. While we will probably continue to use the carts, we will never again feel totally at ease until we’ve come to a stop and are standing on the platform.
I think it's worth noting that they've been using these carts for YEARS, and they handle DOZENS of trains a day. The likelihood of this happening, ESPECIALLY in the wake of this incident, is probably very low. I'm sure they've gotten strict about driving safely.
caravanman
Engineer
I saw Red Cap drivers behaving in a very silly and carefree way at Chicago Union Station, as mentioned in my trip report... Amtrak staff not behaving to a professional standard, who would have thought? 
Right. It was bound to happen some time. It’s a wonder it doesn’t happen more often.
The suggestion to widen the platforms would reduce the capacity of the station by requiring the removal of some tracks, wouldn’t it? And it wouldn’t prevent carelessness. But all hell will break loose now and it will get very heated and legal and financial (Amtrak has deep pockets) when the solution is to just tell the drivers fercrissake, guys, be careful! But the American way is to over-react.
I think it means yanking out the old, narrow, little-used "baggage" platforms between the tracks, spread the tracks out, and make the platforms we use wider.
Qapla
Engineer
Since I have never been to Chicago Union Station, I have no way to compare the size/width of the platform to the ones I have been at. I have ridden in the carts at Tampa Union Station, and we never came that close to the edge of the platform. I would not enjoy such a fall.
Are the Red Caps employees of Amtrak or Chicago Union Station? Who will be financially responsible for any lawsuits stemming from this cart accident?
I certainly hope the Red Caps at CUS are driving more safely by next fall! The hubby and I are thinking of riding the California Zephyr next year, which will require connecting from/to the Lincoln Service which goes to our home town, and we will probably need Red Cap assistance in a large station like Chicago.
Amtrak, but it's the same thing anyway. CUS is wholly owned and run by Amtrak.
Amtrak owns the liabilty.
Devil's Advocate
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That's it huh?
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It won't get that heated. It is as clear a case of dead bang liability as a rear end car accident. Documented on video. Amtrak knows it, Amtrak's lawyers know it, the plaintiff's lawyer knows it. A settlement will be negotiated, Amtrak is inescapably on the hook for this and everyone involved is well aware of that, the only real question is the amount.
As to overreacting, I do not think outrage over an inattentive driver dumping a passenger four feet onto the tracks then having several hundred pounds of cart and luggage land on them is overreacting.
UserNameRequired
Lead Service Attendant
Looks like a 3 wheel (well, 4 wheel but tricycle arrangement) front steer, electric Taylor-Dunn brand vehicle. With likely lead acid batteries I wonder what that thing weighed, had to be over 1000lbs. plus. Good thing Chicago is not a high platform!
toddinde
OBS Chief
It won’t reduce the capacity because Union Station was built with platforms on both sides of the train; one for loading baggage and express and the other for passengers. A more efficient use of the space is the typical two tracks between platforms with wider platforms. The other problem with Union Station are the stupid columns for air rights buildings above the platforms. Nothing to do about that, but it’s just another issue from the 1969 demolition of the concourse. A serious injury like this appears to be simple negligence, and Amtrak is rightfully liable as would any other company. Having a safe station and careful employees isn’t an American overreaction; it’s common sense.
I was thinking this too.
Every time I have gone through the Chicago station, I'm always boarding and deboarding on a platform with those columns and there are always traffic jams. I saw in this video that there is a platform on the other side that doesn't have the columns and looks wider. Is that the side for loading baggage? In this video, I also saw that there were very few people on the platform from which they and the cart fell. Is it because they're getting there before the general call? I haven't ever used a redcap.
If they don't use the old baggage platforms for their original purpose, why not ?
New York’s Penn Station, is also cursed with support columns (for Madison Square Garden from the 1960’s rebuild). In addition, are tight clearances between the platform edge and numerous stairways, escalators, elevators, etc. And it has high platforms, and the further hazard of electrified third rails on some tracks. Driving the electric baggage trucks and other vehicles thru that space takes great skill and care.
The original Yale battery trucks that were in use for a half century, weighed in excess of 6,000 pounds…
Yes, that’s almost everyone experience. Be in the right car and at the front of the line, and then your experience will be different.
Yes, the end toward the station is a ramp to the basement, that ramp does not connect to the public spaces at the station.
Maybe, before or after the rush. It’s common that people have to wait for another redcap before exiting the platform.
I found this old photo depicting one of the original ones. When I worked there between 1989 and 1994, we were still using very similar ones…
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toddinde
OBS Chief
The platforms are extremely narrow. The station was built with narrow platforms on each side of the train; one side for passengers, the other for mail and express. The mail platforms have a ramp going directly into the basement of the station, so they’re not usable for passengers. Union Station was built for long distance trains, but today, most trains are commuter trains or corridor trains, although it has the most long distance trains of any station, none of which carry mail and express. The narrow passenger platforms were made much worse by the construction of buildings on air rights over the tracks leading to massive pillars in the middle of the passenger platforms. This accident occurred as the red cap was navigating around one of this pillars. Boarding and deboarding trains at Union is a circus. Mobs of passengers and carts zig zagging along narrow platforms. I’ve come close to being hit by carts. It’s not a good situation. Perhaps the carts could use the baggage platforms with the doors open on both sides until there is a more permanent fix. Changing the track layout will be a massive endeavor, but has to happen, at least on the South Side. The North Side tracks aren’t as busy yet, and there is only one really long distance train that uses that side; the Empire Builder. Chicago Union is an amazing place. It’s just sad they demolished the concourse in the late ‘60’s and replaced it with a cramped basement.
Those pillars in the middle of the CUS platforms pose another potential danger which hasn’t yet been touched upon in this thread. While there last May, we were sharing a Red Cap cart with another couple who were facing us and away from the direction of travel. The man extended one of his arms outboard of the cart and, if Pat hadn’t reached over and pulled it in, it would have collided with one of the pillars which were quite close as we went passed them. (Since the man was not facing the direction of travel, he was unaware of his danger.) Surprisingly, the Red Cap driver didn’t caution him to keep his arm inside the cart.
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