Metrolink mum on Thursday's crash

Metrolink released no other details about the cause of a crash Thursday between one of its passenger trains and a freight train in Rialto. Five passengers suffered slight injuries.

The Metrolink Board of Directors at its meeting today did ask agency staff to explore what would be required to terminate the agency’s contract with Veolia, the private firm that is contracted to run Metrolink’s trains.

“If there’s an issue” –- with Thursday’s crash –-  “that turns out to involve train engineers, that’s another one in a short period of time and that raises issues,” said Richard Katz, a board member.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators, citing several tests conducted after the Sept. 12 crash that killed 25 in Chatsworth, have said they are confident that the signal system was working and that engineer Robert M. Sanchez sped past a red light before slamming into the oncoming Union Pacific freight train. Sanchez was killed in the crash.

Three witnesses, however, have told The Times that the light was green as Sanchez pulled Metrolink train No. 111 out of the Chatsworth station.

In related news, the California Public Utilities Commission said today that it would consider requiring commuter rail lines to install collision avoidance systems. A new federal law requires advanced systems to be in place by 2015, although Metrolink and two big freight operators have said they are trying to have the equipment on trains by 2012.

-- Steve Hymon

Comments

[Kymberleigh Richards]

A question that should be asked is ... if Veolia is removed as the contract operator for Metrolink, who then will run the service? In 2005, when the bidding for the contract was taking place, Amtrak (who had operated the service from its inception in 1992) was removed from consideration on technicalities, and since then Amtrak has said they will not bid on any such contracts anymore.

There isn't exactly a plethora of companies capable of this type of contract operation, given all the consolidation in recent years (Veolia itself was created as a merger of several firms, including Connex, the original winner of the 2005 Metrolink contract).