Dianne Feinstein asks feds for waiver for Metrolink -- now, not later

The crash on Thursday between a Metrolink train and Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway train in Rialto caught the attention of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. She has asked the Federal Railroad Administration to speed up granting waivers to Metrolink that would allow the commuter rail line to install automatic train stop devices to stop its trains before collisions occur. Feinstein suggests that the FRA is standing in the way.

I've posted the Feinstein press release and letter to the FRA after the jump.

--Steve Hymon

Train ran red light before Rialto crash

Hi folks. A fair amount of news broke since this afternoon when I posted there were no new details about the Metrolink crash in Rialto on Thursday. Here's the story that is being published for tomorrow's editions:

By Robert J. Lopez, Rich Connell and Steve Hymon

Federal investigators said human error or brake problems may have caused a Metrolink train to run a red light before it slammed into a freight train Thursday in Rialto.

The Metrolink crew noticed two lights prior to the red signal, said Ted Turpin, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator supervising the inquiry. One was flashing yellow and the other solid yellow, which should have alerted the crew that they had to stop so the other train could move off the single line of shared track and onto a side rail.

“They used the brakes but they didn’t stop,” Turpin said.

The Rialto crash, which injured five passengers, was the second time in less than three months that a Metrolink train had failed to heed a stoplight before hitting another train.

Investigators in the catastrophic Chatsworth crash in September have said the engineer raced past a red light before slamming into an oncoming freight train, killing 25 people and injuring 135 others. The engineer was also text messaging seconds before impact.

The latest accident prompted Metrolink’s board of directors on Friday to direct staff to explore what would be required to terminate the agency’s contract with the private company that runs the commuter trains.

“If it turns out to be operator error, then it raises serious issues about how [the contractor] is responding to what happened in Chatsworth and the concerns raised by Metrolink,” board member Richard Katz said in an interview.

Thursday’s crash was similar to the Chatsworth collision, except that the commuter train was moving slowly when it hit the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway train.

Experts said the crash, coming on the heels of the Chatsworth collision and other deadly Metrolink accidents in recent years, raises safety questions about the popular commuter line.

The Rialto collision, experts noted, was especially troubling because the Metrolink train had two engineers — a measure enacted after the Chatsworth crash to prevent accidents.

“It’s just intolerable to have so many accidents on one system in a relatively short period of time,” said Barry M. Sweedler, who spent 30 years with the NTSB as an investigator and administrator.

Najmedin Meshkati, a USC engineering professor who has studied rail safety systems, said the accidents point to systemic problems with the agency. “We are dealing with a deep-seated issue that involves the safety culture of the organization,” he said.

Part of the problem, Sweedler said, is that Metrolink contracts out for its engineers, creating a layer of bureaucracy that makes it difficult to hold individuals accountable.

A spokeswoman for Veolia Transportation, whose subsidiary employs the engineers, said Friday evening that officials from the firm were unavailable for comment.

Turpin, the NTSB investigator, said the inquiry would continue for several more days and that investigative teams would be poring over computer data from the trains, signals and Metrolink dispatch center.

He said the Metrolink train slammed into the freight train about 120 feet past the red light. Investigators had interviewed the Metrolink crew and taken statements from the Burlington Northern crew, Turpin said.

“We know pretty much where everything was and what was going on,” he said, adding that it would probably be months before a probable cause is determined.

A Metrolink spokesman said Friday that all of the agency’s trains will undergo complete mechanical inspections before beginning service Monday.

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

Statement on Metrolink about today's crash

Here's a statement released a few minutes ago from Metrolink about the crash earlier today between a San Bernardino-bound Metrolink train and a freight train in Rialto:

Today at approximately 11:30 a.m. Metrolink Train 306, traveling from Los Angeles to San Bernardino, came into contact at low speed with a Burlington Northern Santa Fe local freight train, which was entering a siding in Rialto.  The Metrolink train was traveling eastbound, with a locomotive in the lead, with two crew members on the locomotive.  The contact between the Metrolink locomotive and the freight train is characterized as a minor sideswipe, not head-on, with no attendant damage to passenger coaches or freight cars, nor to track and signal facilities.  There were 15 passengers on board the train.  Four passengers reported minor injuries and have been transported to local medical facilities.  The National Transportation Safety Board has responded to the scene. 

 “Although this incident occurred at a low speed, any incident on the Metrolink system is unacceptable,” said Metrolink Board Vice Chairman Keith Millhouse.  “This incident will be fully investigated to determine the cause, and measures will be taken to ensure that incidents like this do not happen again.”

Train service on the San Bernardino Line continues to operate on schedule between Los Angeles Union Station and Rancho Cucamonga, with bus service between Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino. Train service between Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino will resume once the NTSB releases the scene.

Metrolink service update

At this time, Metrolink officials say that regular afternoon service will resume to Rancho Cucamonga. Buses will be provided for passengers traveling beyond that point. If this changes, I'll update this post.

--Steve Hymon

Location of Metrolink crash

View Larger Map

Here's a map showing the location of the crash Thursday afternoon between a Metrolink train and freight train. The Metrolink train was heading east when it hit the westbound 102-car BNSF freight train that was pulling onto a siding. You can zoom into the map for a better view.

--Steve Hymon

BREAKING NEWS: Metrolink hit tail end of freight train

I just spoke with Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway spokeswoman Lena Kent:

The two trains collided in an area of single track just west of the Metrolink station in Rialto. The westbound Burlington Northern-Santa Fe freight train was pulling onto a siding when the eastbound Metrolink train hit the tail end of the freight train, Kent said.

“We were cleared to go into the siding,” Kent said. “It had almost cleared the mainline when it was struck.”

Metrolink owns that section of track and oversees the operation of trains on it, according to an agency map of the Metrolink rail system.

The BNSF freight train, which was headed from Barstow to Rialto, was being pulled by four locomotives and had 102 freight cars with two more locomotives at the end of the train. The Metrolink train hit the 96th car in the train, a flat car carrying iron, Kent said. She said the 96th through 102nd cars sustained damage but that it didn’t appear to be major.

None of the BNSF crew members suffered any injuries, Kent said. None of the freight train’s cars derailed.

-- Steve Hymon

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

How often do those who oversee transit actually ride it?

The answer to the above headline: not all that often, according to a story I wrote that is published today in the paper edition of The Times and online. The story specifically looks at the 11 voting members of the Metrolink Board. Of those, none take the train on an everyday basis.

Board members in business and government are usually expected to concentrate only on setting broad policy. But some advocates say overseeing transit agencies is different because of the effect they have on thousands of people and their need to be appealing, safe and fast to compete with cars.

And unlike some other transit boards in California, Metrolink -- carrying about 47,000 passengers each weekday -- has no slots reserved for people who directly represent riders or the public at large.

"To be fair, the role of a transit agency board isn't to nitpick daily operations. They're supposed to be focusing on the bigger picture," said Margaret Okuzumi, executive director of BayRail Alliance, a transit advocacy group in Northern California. "The problem is if they're not familiar with the day-to-day experience, it's hard for them to relate to what kind of conditions would better serve their riders."

Does it matter that the Board isn't on board? What do you think? Something to chew on until the returns start coming in later.

-- Steve Hymon

Metrolink safety measures under consideration

Metrolink CEO David Solow has prepared a three-page memo for the Metrolink board, updating members  on several safety measures the agency is pursuing in the wake of the Sept. 12 crash that killed 25 people. I mentioned this briefly in the previous post about the spat at the Metro board meeting this morning. It goes without saying this is more important and deserves its own post.

The memo outlines three safety steps that the agency is pursuing. The Times has written about all this previously, but this is a good update.

Here's a little detail about all of them:

1. Automated train stop devices (ATS). These devices help stop a train that runs a red signal and they're already present on a stretch of track in southern Orange County. It's an old technology and Solow writes that Metrolink is looking at putting ATS in about 50 high-risk areas of track until it can be replaced with a better technology called positive train control. As part of this effort, Solow writes: "Staff has also recommended two additional signal improvement programs. First, staff recommends accelerating the conversion of 650 signal lamps from incandescent bulbs to light emitting diodes (LED) since LEDs improve the visibility and reliability of the signals, at a cost of $1 million."

2. Additional set of eyes. Solow writes that the agency will need money to continue past mid-November its effort to put a second engineer or staffer in the cab of locomotives. He proposes hiring more engineers, conductors and fare collectors at a cost of about $6 million over the next two years. If this is done, Solow writes that by mid-2009 about 75 percent of trains operating on single track in areas with ATS will have a second set of eyes to watch the tracks and signals.

3. Video cameras for locomotives and cab cars. Solow writes that it will cost about $400,000 to put inward-facing video cameras in the cab of locomotives and the engineer's booth in cab cars that are in the front of trains when they're being pushed by the locomotive. The cameras, of course, allow Metrolink to keep tabs on engineers and to ensure they're running the train and not, for example, playing with their cellphones.

Solow writes that the total cost of all three safety measures will be between $10.6 million and $12.6 million. Metro (a.k.a. the MTA) is kicking in about $5 million and the other four county transportation agencies that are part of Metrolink will also likely contribute money. The voter-approved transportation bond Prop 1B may also be another source of funds, Solow writes.

All the above will be discussed at Friday's meeting of the Metrolink board in Los Angeles. The agenda can be viewed online. The three-page report from Solow begins on Page 80.

--Steve Hymon