Clarendon Hills station
| Company type | Commuter rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Headquarters | Clarendon Hills , United States |
Area served | Clarendon Hills, Illinois |
| Products | Commuter rail services (Metra BNSF Line) |
Clarendon Hills serves as a stop on Metra's BNSF Line located in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, positioned 18.3 rail miles (29.5 km) from Chicago Union Station. This station is classified within Metra's zone 3 fare category. In the year 2018, Clarendon Hills was ranked as the 66th busiest among Metra’s 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 799 boardings on weekdays.
The inbound platform's station building, situated south of the tracks, was staffed until June 11, 2018, after which it was replaced by an unstaffed facility. Construction for the new building began on January 6, 2020, culminating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on November 7, 2022. On the outbound side, there are two modest covered shelters—one equipped with bicycle racks and another functioning as a sheltered warming area. The station is located adjacent to the central business district of Clarendon Hills.
As of April 29, 2024, weekday service at Clarendon Hills includes 30 inbound and 27 outbound trains, totaling 57 trains daily. Weekend and holiday service comprises 33 trains, with 16 inbound and 17 outbound trips.
Accident
At 8:16 AM on May 11, 2022, Clarendon Hills was the scene of a collision involving inbound Metra train no. 1242 and a box truck that had stopped on the tracks. The cause behind the truck’s halt remains unclear despite ample space available to clear the crossing. The accident resulted in one fatality—a 72-year-old female passenger who was ejected—and injuries to at least four others, including the train’s engineer and conductor. The truck driver and two passengers escaped without injury prior to impact.
According to a preliminary report from the NTSB dated June 15, 2022, the train had nearly clear visibility when approaching the crossing near the station. With a posted track speed limit of , the train was traveling at . Emergency braking was initiated within nine seconds, reducing speed to at the moment of collision, which occurred eighteen seconds after first sighting the truck. The train came to a complete stop further downtrack after twenty-nine seconds.
On that day, train no. 1242 operated as a local service running between Aurora and Chicago, departing Clarendon Hills at 8:00 AM. Due to mechanical issues affecting the assigned trainset, a substitute train originated from , instructed to bypass stations between and in order to maintain its schedule.
Following the crash, inbound services were suspended for the remainder of the day; outbound evening rush hour trains operated with reduced frequency. Clarendon Hills station remained open solely for passenger unloading. Travelers were advised to use nearby stations such as and Westmont or consider alternate routes via the Union Pacific West Line. The following day saw Metra implementing a modified Saturday timetable with local trains stopping at all stations except Clarendon Hills. Normal operations and access to both the station and Prospect Avenue grade crossing resumed on May 13.