Dozens hurt when Amtrak train rams freight

CHICAGO, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Amtrak's Pere Marquette slammed into the rear of a Norfolk Southern freight train Friday morning in a rail yard on Chicago's South Side.

The train, carrying 187 passengers and six crew members in three passenger cars, was en route to Union Station in Chicago from Grand Rapids, Mich., the national rail passenger agency said.

Dozens of people were hurt in the crash, most with cuts and bruises, The Chicago Tribune reported. Chicago Fire Commissioner Raymond Orozco said five people suffered critical injuries and nine were seriously hurt.

Most of the passengers got a shaking at worst, Amtrak said. Two crew members suffered serious injuries.

Amtrak service east of Chicago was suspended for several hours. All trains were expected to run normally Saturday except for the Pere Marquette, which would be replaced by bus service for the day.

The cause of the crash was unclear late Friday. A Norfolk Southern spokesman said the freight train was not moving at the time of the crash.

"The freight train was on the track it was supposed to be on waiting for its signal," Rudy Husband said.