Metrolink: A system forged from freight lines

Last night, I was able to reach Richard Stanger. He was executive director of Metrolink in its infant years from 1991 to 1998 and now works as a transportation consultant. We spoke about the railroad's history and how it came to be that commuter trains and freight trains must often share the same set of tracks.

The Metrolink tracks probably carry "more freight traffic and commuter traffic than just about anywhere else in the country," Stanger said. "It's all very highly regulated and signalized and very carefully watched by dispatchers daily. There have been hundreds of thousands of freight and Metrolink trips in the last 16 years, so it's extraordinary when there's an event like this. At this point, it's too early to know the reasons behind the crash."

Stanger ran me through the history of rail in Southern California. In short, the old railroads that once offered passenger service in the region stopped in the years after World War II. Carrying freight was their meal ticket, and commuter service -- where it existed -- was mostly a money drain that got in the way.

By the late 1980s, the freight railroads weren't in particularly great financial shape and had more track than they could use. The various railroads -- Southern Pacific, Santa Fe and Union Pacific mostly -- began either selling their tracks to local transit agencies or making deals to allow commuter rail to share the tracks.

"Between 1989 and 1994, there was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the MTA and the other county transportation commissions in Southern California to purchase all these right of ways," Stanger said. "From all these acquisitions we began to see if you put this together with that, you can construct a regionwide commuter rail system."

"It allowed us to put together the Metrolink system," he added. "Because L.A. is such an important freight destination, these freight carriers required that they be allowed to operate their freight trains in a subservient role continuing on. It's something that had to be done in order to get Metrolink up and running -- you had to allow the freights."

The big worry when commuter rail service started in October 1992 was about train-vehicle collisions at at-grade rail crossings.

"Especially on that line" -- the Ventura line -- "and as you go through the Valley, Glendale and toward downtown, there were a lot of street crossings -- more than we wanted," Stanger said. "For the first 10 years our emphasis was to close street crossings or maybe improve one that would allow us to close another one. That was the thrust of it. As part of the renovation of the track for commuter trains we upgraded the signal system, but there were all these street crossings that we had to focus on initially."

Friday's crash occurred on a stretch of single track that extends from just north of the Chatsworth Station through the Santa Susana Pass. There is double track again just west of the pass on the edge of Simi Valley. Was the single track through the pass a big problem through the years? I asked him.

Stanger said it had not been. The two tunnels that carry the single track under the pass were constructed in the early 1900s; building a new tunnel would be costly. Also, he said, though there is some freight moved on the Ventura line, it's not nearly as much as on the tracks east of Los Angeles -- those are the lines that deliver goods to the rest of the country.

"It would be ideal if it was double-tracked. Nevertheless, the signal system is designed to keep trains from being on the same track at the same time," Stanger said, "and it has done that year after year."

Metrolink began service Oct. 26, 1992, when a train rolled out of the Moorpark station at 5:06 a.m. and lumbered toward Los Angeles through the pass and on to Chatsworth. The first accident occurred Nov. 25 of that year, when a train hit a city street maintenance truck at an ungated crossing in Pacoima, killing the driver and leaving a dozen passengers on the train with slight injuries.

-- Steve Hymon

Photo: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Russell Johnson]

I, as everyone, am deeply sorry for the tragedy of the recent Metrolink train crash. I thought that after the last train crash, this problem would be solved once and for all. I guess that didn't happen. I am still amazed that only one engineer is in control of a train with hundreds of people, whereas airplanes always have two.
Installing a very expensive system to automatically stop a train if the engineer ran a red light is one way of solving the problem, but there is a far easier solution that can be implemented immediately and it involves the cause of this crash - a cell phone. All that would be required is to hire a dedicated person at the central control office for the trains. Engineers would be required to call the person and report their location and the color of the signal light at each traffic signal. That would provide instant feedback as to the location of each train. If a call did not come in as would be anticipated, the engineer could be called, and if he could not be reached, the track could be cleared. It's a low tech / high tech solution, but it's simplicity could immediately stop accidents from happening, at the low cost of hiring a person or two to sit at the central control office and take the calls.

[vince ex signalman]

most people have no idea how complicated running a railroad is, all these armchair engineers and railfans and train enthusiasts do not have a clue. i worked for southern pacific as a signalman and and then for metrolink in 1992 in that area 20 yrs ago. i was also a conductor for another railroad. i have read so many ridiculous comments about how there should be tracks only for passenger service....well unless you want to donate your extremely overpriced 2 acres of southern california land to lay new right of ways, dont expect to see new tracks any time soon. it would cost hundreds of billions to do that. if the average joe could get to see what even a relatively small interlocking like burbank junction looks like, it is mind boggling. there are so many safety features built in, but accidents DO STILL HAPPEN. This is why they are called accidents. (our hearts and prayers go out to all the families of the victims of this tragedy) But all this high tech stuff is useless if a engineer runs a red. from what i remember, chatsworth was ctc, meaning that the train could proceed on signal indication with out talking to a ditchpatcher directly.( this might have changed to dtc when metrolink started running in 1992.in my many years of railroading, i have seen a few bad ones. Any one remember Duffy St? a simple math error caused a mojave conductor to not have enough air (brakes)for the weight of his train and it became a runaway down cajon pass. massive carnage a 2mile long 12000 ton train at 100 mph can do.
my view is that this had to be engineer error. you dont just get a red signal, first he would have had a yellow approach (to slow down for a red stop signal ahead) way before that, and probably a less restrictive one before that ( i dont remember what the valley line had. i think they were all single head, single aspect signals, it was more than 20 years ago that i worked there. but either way, if he had a red signal at chatsworth (that would be a A absolute double headed red,(from siding to re enter the main) the switch was line lined against him in a trailing move, and he should have derailed right there, possibly before the fouling point (depending on his speed)and maybe out of way of the opposing up train.
we had the best warning equipment available, no matter what anyone says. i say the term "warning" because you cannot prevent a idiot from going around the gates to save 2 minutes. i saw it every single day. see what is like on a locomotive even at 30mph going through a crossing. you cringe at every single one. nothing is fail safe in life. accidents will find a way to happen, unfortunatey

[JCA]

Why couldn't a realtively simple system such as ATS (Automatic Train Stop) be employed on all Metrolink lines? It has been in place on the San Diego line since after World War 2 and seems to work quite well.

[JCA]

I have worked in the railroad industry for close to 30 years now and I can relate this: The line to San Diego that Metrolink and Amtrak shares with the BNSF is equipped with ATS (Automatic Train Stop), a relatively simple system that employs a trip bar that raises up when a signal is red, and will actuate a valve on the side of the locomotive putting the brakes in full emergency if passed. This system was put in place by the Santa Fe Railroad after World War 2, and it is required by the FRA only when speeds exceed 79 MPH. This simple system has saved many lives over the years. Unfortunately only Metrolink, Coaster and Amtrak passenger locomotives are equipped with ATS, not the freight locomotives, as there are thousands of those and they are not assigned to run on dedicated routes.

[HECTOR JIMENEZ]

In this computer era, GPS, autopilots, sensors of all kinds, one thinks this accident should have been prevented by automatic controls. What if a conductor suffers a stroke, faints or is going through a personal crisis, suicital feelings or any other reason for lack of human control? Please educate us, this is a terrible tragedy.

[BOB2]

Jeff Greenfield, not of CBS,

Union Station was not built until 1939? About 35 years after the event you describe? At this time, even Union Pacific was still over 10 years away from arriving in Los Angeles>

The Southern Pacific couldn't gi through Rhoda Ring's Malibu ranch (there weren't many "residents" back then?) . She built a small railroad of her own to keep SP from gaining the franchise to build via that way,. The SP's "Malibu" line to Santa Barbara, would have connected to today's Expo Line, if it had been built..

A little nostalgia for simpler times after a traumatic event helps us all heal just a little bit.

BOB2

[Spokker]

CBS is reporting that the engineer may have been text messaging just before the crash.

http://cbs2.com/local/Metrolink.Engineer.Deadly.2.817045.html

Time to pass a hands free cell phone law for trains.

[Spokker]

"You cannot put a price on human life but the toll in this tragedy should translate to a law suit that forces the rails to deed the whole system to the families of the victims."

We can and do put a price on human life. Did positive train control materialize on every track in Southern California after the Placentia crash in 2002?

After the 2005 Glendale crash, why did we not rush the sealed corridor program to completion? Where are the fences strong enough to hold back an SUV from getting on the tracks?

The point is that taxpayers do not want to pay for those things. We could make rail travel as safe as it could possibly be if we had the money.

If had the most advance equipment we could definitely reduce the number of accidents, you never ever fully eliminate the element of risk from any form of transportation.

[Mike S3.]

I have run 2 red lights during my automobile driving days. Neither was deliberate, I never got a ticket, and both made me very angry with myself. That's just not something I do, but I did. Hopefully this system is more advanced than one where this collision could be caused by the dead Metro engineer making the mistake of running a red light.

[Sophie]

"Third World" countries have better transit / rail infrastructures than the the southern California region. The only places that experience more fatalities are countries that are using 19th and early 20th century infrastructure and technologies, like India and Pakistan who use the rail system installed by the British imperialists to better control their conquest.

[Aldo]

My condolences go to the families of the victims.

It is important to finally start giving rail the funds needed to created a better system. I recently travelled to Germany and France and used their high speed rail lines. I felt safe at all times, the attention given to these is very high.

It is important for us to approved the high speed rail bond measure this november so that we can plan a better and safer system for california.

[Jeff Greenfield (not of CBS news)]

No one has mentioned the history of why the railroad tracks are even in the San Fernando Valley. The article mentions that the tunnels were built in the early 1900's. The reason is that Union Pacific and Southern Pacific in the early 1900's wanted tracks from San Diego to Washington State along the coast. But the then residents of Malibu did not want railroad tracks in their coastal community. So because the UP, SP, and Santa Fe all met at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, it was decided to bypass the coast at Malibu. Instead, the line went north into the San Fernando Valley, then two lines went west, meeting in Chatsworth. The southern most of these two lines now has been revamped into the MTA bus system's the Orange Line. I remember when there were train tracks there. They made deliveries to local lumber yards (Hull Brothers, DeCheco's). The only line left is the line where the crash occurred. In fact, the Chatsworth MetroLink Station is on the old line that most of which is now the Orange Bus Line. The line continued north through those tunnels into Simi Valley, then met the coast again in Oxnard, going north to Washington State. And that is why the tracks are where they are. They were originally supposed to be routed through Santa Monica and Malibu.

[mike morris]

When a train is being pulled by a heavy large engine like the Metro link, the car behind it should be empty, In the accident the heavy large engine smashed into the passenger car behind it, a empty buffer car should be the rule in the future. When a train is being pushed by a engine from the rear , the front control car should be empty except for the engineer, If these rules are followed lives will be saved, Also these trains should have radar or navigation equipment to assist the employee.

[John]

This is unacceptable! - We are dependent on 19th century technology, there should be several computer systems that are managing traffic and any discrepency in any of them should shut all trains down. You cannot put a price on human life but the toll in this tragedy should translate to a law suit that forces the rails to deed the whole system to the families of the victims. This is NOT an accident. only this time one man cannot be blamed.

[Jeff Greenfield]

Nowhere in any article have I found the history of why the railroad tracks are where they are in the first place. The article says the tunnels were built in the early 1900's. Here is the rest of the story:

In the early 1900's, Union Pacific and Southern Pacific wanted railroad lines from San Diego up to Canada along the coast. UP, SP, and Santa Fe all met at Union Station in Los Angeles. But the plan to continue the route along the coast was stopped by the residents of Malibu in the early 1900's because they did not want a train track on their beach. So the route was rerouted north from Union Station, west across the San Fernando Valley with two lines going east; one is now torn up and is now the dedicated MTA Orange Line. That line used to serve delivery by train to several lumber yards that used to exist (Hull Brothers, DeCheco's in Canoga Park, for example). The other line still exists. After Chatsworth, tunnels were built into Simi Valley, and the line continues to Oxnard where the tracks once again meet the coast, having now bypassed Malibu. I know this history. But I haven't seen it posted anywhere in any newspaper, blog, or television news program.

Thank you.

[Lars Helstrom]

I find it difficult to believe that the Metrolink engineer is at fault. If the dispatcher had been doing his job, he would have known that the freight train was coming the other way. If he had known this, not only would he have set the signal to red against the Metrolink train, but he would also have set the track switch at the north end of the passing siding at Chatsworth so that the freight train could head into the adjacent track. The Metrolink train would have been unable to go through the switch that was set against him (it would have derailed had it tried to do so).

[D]

My condolences to the victims and their families of this preventable accident.

As someone who uses the rail commuter service in Northern California, I find the fact that this kind of accident (head on train collision) can still happen on the rails in this day and age in this State to be outrageous, scandalous, a State and National embarrassment and is absolutely indicative of the third or fourth rate status this entire country gives its commuter rail lines. It's an embarrassment, an absolute embarrassment, the people responsible for safety, the management and politicians running the show who have allowed this to even be possible ought to be sent packing. If anything comes out of this I hope at least some modest improvements are made so that something this awful, mind-bogglingly pathetic and incompetent doesn't happen again.

[Juan Rosillo]

Is shocking to learn that the operation of the trains were outsourced is that company safety record in good standing are the operators free to enter a union? are the hiring procedures safe? is safety sacrificed for profits? this is a terrible example of what can happen.

[Tim in Nebraska]

Put two crew members back in the cab. To "save" money (and end up spending more through accidents), commuter and some Amtrak runs have only one person in the cab. Two are obviously better and needed for the busy atmosphere. Running a train or plane is not as simple as jumping in your SUV and driving off.

[Fred Blackburn]

I have been riding Metrolink since the first day it started. I'll continue to ride the train. I buy a monthly pass which is good for the Metrolink and Amtrak. There is no morning Amtrak, but I have an option in the afternoon. On Friday I was on the Amtrak, had I missed it I would have been on the Metrolink. When waiting for the train in Van Nuys, I watch the switchmen physically switch tracks to unload train cars. It has been said that the engineer might have not seen a warning light. A light is the only indication the track is safe? This is a scary thought. I believe there is normally only way on a single track and one way off. Are there backup systems, such as mechanical interlocks to prevent another train from entering an occupied track?
Unfortunately it takes an incident like this to resolve safety issues which could have had substantial cost. But these cost could have been payed from the lawsuit money.

[jbd]

I am not a signal expert but I have worked in the operating departments of railways for many years. The problem with most of American railroading other than in the Northeast corridor is that freight and commuter trains are not equipped with what is referred to as Cab Control signals. Cab Control signals are displayed in the locomotive cab themselves, rather than on the right of way, and when an engineer does not respond tothe signals accordingly the train will be stopped automatically. This greatly helps to avoid collisions.

That said, for the above post that maintained that automobiles were safer I believe any examination of injuries and fatalities will prove rail to be much safer per passenger mile. The reality is that the federal government and the nation as a whole must invest funds in rail transit for a great number of national reasons. Safety, eneergy consumption, economy and the environment are just a few of the many reasons that the nation must invest in commuter rail transit.

An accident like this is a terrible reminder of the fact that are tax dollars do not go to the transportation systems that we need in this country.

[cochon.name]

some data from google - 2006(2007 data isn't available for trains) train vs. traffic fatalities: 6 vs. 30,251(traffic fatalities in passenger vehicles)

big accidents like these make big headlines. i've counted 4 metrolink train-train crashes since 2002, where people die inside a train. a train crash, even where few no-one dies and a handful of folks are injured even makes the front page. the thousands of morning rush hour road/freeway accidents every year get nothing more than a mention of areas to avoid from traffic reporters.

that said, this sucks in a big way.

[Frank]

The headlines are sad. From levees to infrastructures like rails, failed bridges, and roads: these could use the billions our gov't spend elsewhere in other countries and for bail outs. We are placed at the bottom on the 'needs' list for too long. I do not blame the engineer...but the systems we've voted into place..

[Matthew]

Why doesn't the federal government invest the money it SHOULD into our passenger rail system and stop prioritizing it after freight trains?! Give us separate tracks already! This is ridiculous!

[Jim Osborn]

How sad. The author mentions how Metrolink knew that the crossings were inadequate in the San Fernando Valley back in 1992 and still allowed the project t continue. THey are still inadequate as I write this.

Lighting is dim. Gates are flimsy and only cover half the roadway, signs are sparse. THe train often arrives seconds after the gate descends, when cars are still trying to get out of the way

If you were to travel to Germany, you would be amazed at how thy make a level crossing so much safer for only a small amount of money.

IT HAS BEEN SPECULATE D THAT A RAILROAD ENGINEER MAY HAVE MISSED A DIM SIGNAL AND PROCEEDED ONTO THE TRACK INSTEAD OF WAITING. THe lazy FRA has not updated signals in years. If you can see a policeman's lights in bright sunlight, why can'r rail lights both for crossings and for engineers be made equally attention geting?