BREAKING NEWS: Metrolink crash update

An eastbound Metrolink train scraped against a westbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train in the Rialto area on Thursday morning, according to Lt. Joe Cirilo of the Rialto Police Department.

There are no major injuries, but five passengers are complaining of some type of pain and they are being evaluated and treated, Cirilo said. The accident happened a little before noon near where Lilac Avenue crosses the tracks in Rialto.

Metrolink officials indicated the train involved is believed to be No. 306, which runs between Union Station and San Bernardino with a stop in Rialto.

Metrolink's most recent Twitter update, posted about 12:25 p.m. says:

"Metrolink San Bern. Line trains will only operate between Los Angeles and Rancho Cuca. stn. til further notice due to incident involving train 306."

More details as soon as we get them.

-- Jia-Rui Chong and Steve Hymon

Comments

[JonS]

Unbelievable. According to another site (http://www.inlandnewstoday.com/story.php?s=5107) the eastbound Metrolink hit the tail end of a 102-car westbound fright train as the freight train was moving on to a siding.

Why couldn't the Metrolink engineer see the freight train? It had to be plainly visible. (No curve and tunnel like Chatsworth.)

The site also said that there were three Metrolink crew members. Was the third crew member part of the extra set of eye program?

As a regular Metrolink commuter I am now VERY scared.

[Justin Walker]

At Lilac Ave. in Rialto, there is Control Point Lilac (CP Lilac.) At CP Lilac, the line goes from one main track on the east side to one main track and one siding track on the west side.

Quick diagram of CP Lilac

Siding --------------\
Main -----------------\----------------- Main

West (to LA) East (to SB)

From the limited information available, it looks like the eastbound Metrolink slightly passed the fouling point of CP Lilac and was partially in the path of the westbound freight train taking the siding in front of it.