WASHINGTON — A Union Pacific locomotive’s horn and warning devices at a grade crossing provided little advance notice before a fatal collision at a grade crossing in Elgin, Ill., according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the Oct. 23, 2025, incident.
The accident occurred about 6:30 a.m., when a locomotive running light struck a pickup truck and trailer belonging to a landscaping firm at the South State Street crossing in Elgin. The truck’s driver was killed; two passengers were hospitalized for treatment of injuries. [See “NTSB investigating fatal …,” Trains.com, Oct. 24, 2025]. According to the NTSB report, the locomotive was traveling about 27 mph as it approached the crossing; a review of the unit’s event and image recorders shows that traffic was still crossing the tracks in the seconds before the collision, and that the locomotive horn was sounded for the first time and the crossing gates activated when the locomotive was at the edge of the crossing.
The two-lane road crosses the tracks at a 35-degree angle; the rail line has a permanent 30-mph speed restriction at the site.
Along with reviewing the event and image recorders, NTSB investigators examined the locomotive and crossing, tested the grade crossing’s warning device, collected samples of foreign material near the scene, conducted reenactments of the train’s movement, conducted interviews, and reviewed relevant UP rules and procedures. The report says the ongoing investigation will focus on UP rules, policies, and training, as well as performance of the train detection technology used by the grade-crossing warning system.
— To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
