The CTA has fired the operator of the train that crashed into the platform at O'Hare International Airport and scaled an escalator, injuring more than 30 people.
The operator, 25, was issued a termination notice today that is effective immediately, the agency said. The severity of the March 24 crash at the O'Hare Blue Line stop was grounds enough for termination, the CTA said, but the notice also indicated that the crash was the operator's "second of two serious safety violations."
The operator has admitted to investigators she "dozed off" just before the train hit the station. On Feb. 1, the operator said she missed a Blue Line stop because she dozed off then as well, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash.
A union official said the operator had a "very chaotic" work schedule, filling in as needed and working at all hours. As part of the union's collective bargaining agreement, the operator can appeal her termination.
The CTA again took issue today with the union president's claim.
"There was nothing about that operator's work schedule that suggests fatigue should have played a role in her performance," CTA spokesman Brian Steele said.
The agency maintains that the operator worked 55 hours in the seven days preceding the incident and was off for 18 hours prior to her shift during which the incident occurred.
The CTA also said that because of the configuration of the Blue Line stations, operators have to step out of the train cab to manually open the doors and look out a window before closing them. The operator did this at the Rosemont stop, about 4-5 minutes before the accident at the O'Hare station, Steele said.
The dismissal came as the agency announced it is changing how rail operators are scheduled as a result of a review of the crash.
The changes include setting a maximum of 12 hours of actual train-operations duty, including layover times at terminals and other non-driving rail duties, in a 14-hour time period. Currently, there is no maximum.
The CTA also said it will increase the minimum rest time between shifts to 10 hours from eight hours.
The CTA said the changes will be made when the next round of scheduling occurs in May.
The agency said it has traditionally followed well-established scheduling principles and practices but had "voluntarily and immediately" begun conducting an internal analysis of those policies to determine if improvements could be made.
"Any time an incident like this occurs, we take very seriously the responsibility of thoroughly reviewing all aspects of what happened -- including long standing policies and practices," CTA President Forrest Claypool said in a statement.
"In this instance, there were changes we could make that are appropriate and that further maximize safety for our customers and for our employees."
Other scheduling changes include requiring all rail operations employees to take at least one day off in any seven-day period. Currently there is no limit.
For new operators in their first year, weekly hours of operating a train will be limited to 32. As they do now, these employees will work other rail-related duties besides operating trains in their other work hours. Currently, there is no limit. The operator involved in the crash was hired last April.
The CTA last week announced that it had implemented two other changes at the O'Hare Blue Line station: reducing the speed limit of approaching trains to 15 mph from 25 mph, and moving "trip arms," farther back from the end of the platform. The devices are supposed to stop a train traveling above the speed limit.
Additionally, the CTA will repeat its fatigue awareness training for all rail operators.
The CTA said it continues to work with the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation into the crash.