Editorial: Preventable Amtrak crashes are a national problem and also a serious issue for Chicago

Crashes involving Amtrak trains appear rare. But the reality, especially west of Chicago, is that Amtrak trains themselves are infrequent. They run just three or four times a day to most Midwestern destinations. The great long-distance trains that head out west from Chicago — they have names like the Empire Builder, the California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief — run no more than once a day. Given that, they seem to hit trouble strikingly often.

Pain certainly came the way of the 200 or so passengers, including a troop of Wisconsin Boy Scouts, riding