A woman was hospitalized after the train struck an SUV at the Wolf Road crossing, while no passengers or crew aboard were injured.
WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — Two children were killed and a woman was seriously injured Wednesday morning when an Amtrak train struck an SUV at a railroad crossing in Western Springs, authorities and school officials said.
The crash happened around 8 a.m. Nov. 11 at Wolf Road as westbound Amtrak train No. 381 traveled from Chicago toward Quincy. The children were students at Pleasantdale Elementary School in nearby La Grange, according to Pleasantdale School District 107. Authorities had not publicly released their names or ages as of Thursday, and the circumstances that placed the vehicle on the tracks remained under investigation.
The injured woman was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. Reports described her injuries as severe, but officials had not released a detailed update on her condition. The Cook County medical examiner’s office had not publicly identified the children. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that both children were girls.
Amtrak said 35 passengers and crew members were aboard the train and none reported injuries. Passengers were taken off the train and provided alternate bus transportation, with service planned for the remaining stops between La Grange and Quincy. The collision also disrupted Metra’s BNSF Line, which uses the same tracks through the western suburbs.
Witnesses described hearing the collision and seeing the vehicle catch fire after it was struck. People from nearby businesses rushed toward the scene and helped pull the injured woman away from the vehicle, according to local news reports. Emergency crews and law enforcement officers then secured the area as investigators began examining the crash.
Pleasantdale School District 107 Superintendent Dave Palzet said the two students’ deaths had left the school community grieving. “Words cannot express the heartbreak and sorrow we feel as we mourn this devastating loss,” Palzet said in a statement. The district said social workers and members of its crisis response team began supporting students and staff Wednesday and would continue providing assistance in the coming days.
The crash forced authorities to close the Wolf Road and Grand Avenue railroad crossings while emergency crews worked at the scene. Metra halted BNSF service for hours and canceled multiple trains, affecting commuters along the busy route between Chicago and the western suburbs. Limited service later resumed, though cancellations and other disruptions continued into Wednesday evening.
Amtrak said its train made contact with a vehicle on the tracks just west of La Grange and that the railroad was working with local authorities on the investigation. Officials had not announced a cause by Thursday. Published reports differed on some details surrounding the crossing signals, and authorities had not publicly released a final determination of how the SUV entered or remained on the tracks before the collision.
The Village of Western Springs also arranged for social workers to be available at Village Hall on Thursday for people who witnessed the crash. Investigators were continuing to examine the collision, while the school district focused on supporting students, staff and the families affected by the deaths.
Author note: Last updated November 12, 2026.