The Metrolink crash

Just wanted to post a quick update. First and foremost, my deep condolences to family and friends of the victims of this afternoon's crash. For many reasons, a lot of people want to see mass transit work in the Southland and seeing it fail in such a deadly way is awful. The folks aboard the train were the minority of people willing to leave their cars behind.

There will be coverage of the accident updated throughout the weekend on The Times' website, as well as a package of stories in the print edition. I'm also going to post tomorrow morning about the history of Metrolink and why commuter rail and freight trains share so many of the same tracks here.

--Steve Hymon

Comments

[Frank]

Metrolink uses some European outfit called Veolia to run
their trains and train operator Sanchez was a V. employee. I believe that our NTSB should look into bringing
felony charges. Clearly, Veolia does not properly train nor do they carefully hire. At very least Metrolink
should dump these international incompetents and run
their own trains.

[marty]

Please enlighten me about train signals and switches. If the northbound Metrolink train saw a red light at a switch, does that mean the switch would have been favoring the southbound freight? If that was the case what would be the result of the northbound train running through a switch that is favoring the southbound freight?
Marty

[Damien Goodmon]

The thoughts and prayers of all in the Fix Expo movement go out to the families of the departed.

[Daniel OC]

It is my fear that this accident will be wrongly politicized by advocates and opponents of mass transit in the Los Angeles area. Reading the back-and-forth comments on this blog thread -- it has seemingly begun.

[J in Pasadena]

MTA funds Metrolink's L.A. County operation. They are technically different organizations but share many of the same policies and procedures. MTA designs our regional transportation and what we have here today is a direct result of their planning. And let's get real MTA tells Metrolink what to do. Yes, I blame MTA for this. Correct me if I am wrong but they were the original driving force to create Metrolink no matter what the setup is today.

[Fred Camino]

Hey J in Pasadena,

As much as I hate to negate a good rant with the truth, this accident was Metrolink not MTA. Even if you had dissolved the MTA years ago it would not have prevented this accident since the MTA is not Metrolink. Nice try though.

"What kind of fool sets up a system that has commuter rail running on freight train tracks in opposite directions?"

The Ventura County Line has run, sharing track, for 16 years without an accident like this. Although we don't know the details, it seems likely that human error is at fault here, not system design.

"Let's stop the lunacy of shared train tracks, at-grade crossings and extravagant subways in earthquake country."

Way to show your true colors. What does the subway and earthquakes have to do with ANYTHING?

[Tim]

to J in Pasadena:
Aren't Metrolink and the MTA completely separate agencies? How would it be the MTA's fault then?

[lsm]

Should we hurl invective at the MTA for yesterday's Metrolink tragedy? I thought the MTA and Metrolink are separate agencies. Did the MTA design Metrolink or did it previously run Metrolink or does it now share any governance with Metrolink?

[spokker]

"Let's stop the lunacy of shared train tracks, at-grade crossings and extravagant subways in earthquake country."

Haha, you're using this incident as an excuse to oppose subways in LA? Oh please, get a grip.

[J in Pasadena]

This is an absolute horrific tragedy. The human suffering is unbearable to watch. I am absolutely saddened by this horrific event and share sympathy with survivors and families of dead.

What is unfathomable -- I mean absolutely untenable -- is that anyone would chock this up to purely an act of God. These are some of the posts that popped up on the Bottleneck Blog today.

For months I have been presenting analysis and fact about MTAs disastrous run in LA. It's clear that MTA has by far the worst commuter rail safety record per mile of any similar agency in the U.S. (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/08/expo-line-cross.html ) It's also clear the agency has a strong track record of ramming through imprudent, unsafe engineering sheerly for expediency. (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/08/expo-line-hires.html ) When this is added with their extensively documented history of graft and corruption, a much clearer picture emerges.

My grandfather was a project engineer on the Four Level Interchange, among others. He took real pride in engineering transportation solutions for this city. He prioritized the strength and safety of his designs. What kind of fool sets up a system that has commuter rail running on freight train tracks in opposite directions? Is it the cheap, politically expedient fool, or the careless, poorly-planned fool? Grandfather is rolling in his grave. Frankly, I am tired of hearing the phrase, "Worst accident in MTA history."

History, which is the only real guide we have in this world, repeats itself. And, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. All this is why I have advocated abolishing the MTA, trashing their behemoth, ill-conceived construction plans and starting fresh with regional agencies. It's not just about money -- as we all see -- it's about the human toll, as well.

You fool MTA apologists. Each and every one of you bear a tiny little bit of responsibility for the deaths in this tragedy. Either by naivety or self-aggrandization you choose your own personal commuting needs over the needs of our community. Let's stop the lunacy of shared train tracks, at-grade crossings and extravagant subways in earthquake country. We can do much, much better.

[MovedEast]

Very sad. Thoughts and prayers to all involved. An unnecessary tragedy, which must be born by all.

Mostly on the shoulders of a political establishment that panders to the do nothing classes refusing to wrap collective heads around infrastructure needs and move boldly, NIMBYS who "just say no" to every potential project and the boards and courts that give them forums, and a population so self-absorbed that they'd rather sit in traffic for two hours in their SUV's rather than spend twenty minutes on a train with their fellow man.

This single sorry little heavy rail line (built generations ago) is emblematic of how little investment has been made. The burden of failure of all is plain: as freight, regional commuter rail and Amtrak all plod along using the same lone track. And folks, this isn't somewhere out in the middle of the sticks, its right in the heart of the second largest metropolitan area in America.

Come on people - this is a clarion call - get your act together. Stop squabbling, come up with a plan. Don't wait for the Federal Government to help you. Elect the local leadership (county and state) that will fix this mess. This is your time. Put this tragedy to good use.

[Spokker]

By the way, I think you are full of it for saying public transit has failed in such a deadly way when you don't even know the cause of the accident.

At least wait until the accident report until you start spewing nonsense.

[Spokker]

For all the auto fatalities you post about you more than anyone should know that any mode of transit is going to have an element of risk, whether it's equipment failure or operator error. You cannot hold public transit to such an unrealistic goal of "not killing people."

This is definitely a high-profile incident and it's one that will happen again, maybe tomorrow, maybe a few years from now. If the day comes that freight and commuter traffic are separated, then the commuter trains will collide into each other. The high speed trains might collide into each other. It's no different than airplanes falling out of the sky or drivers running red lights in Hollywood and killing taxi drivers.

These accidents, as much as you don't want to admit it, are a part of life.

I will continue to take the train.