Metrolink Wreck

[Dan O]

Apparently, not only did the Metrolink engineer send a text right before the crash, so did the freight train's conductor.

Too bad they weren't texting each other. "Hey we are barreling towards each other right now!"

I right metrolink a few times a year and when I do, I try to get in the car that I think would be safest in event of a crash.

Dan

 

[AlanB]

In following the info today, it was mentioned that the Metrolink engineer failed to call out the last three signals on his radio. I assume that someone is suppose to be listening to these, right? So, after missing the first two, why didn't someone take some action (like pull the emergency red brake cord?).
Beyond what actually happened, I would think that a silent engineer is a good indication that something is going wrong up in the cab.

The conductor is supposed to listen to and acknowledge all signals called out (some railroads, IIRC, don't require the conductor to acknowledge "clear" signals, though the engineer must still call them out). They're supposed to know their territory well enough to know were the signals are, and a call-out is missed, figure out why and, as you said, take any necessary corrective action.

Actually most RR's west of the Miss, namely UP & BNSF, don't call clear signals at all. They only call more restrictive signals. It's NS and CSX operating under NORAC the call all signals, including clears.

Now I've seen some reports that say that Metrolink requires all signals to be called, but I've also seen reports that say that Metroliink only requires lessor signals than clear to be called. And last that I had heard, the engineer did call the first lessor signal prior to the station. I seem to recall hearing that the conductor didn't acknowledge that transmission, but I won't swear to that. They claim that the engineer did not call the second lessor signal right before the station stop. But it has been mentioned that there are areas where the transmissions between the crew is not picked up by the repeaters, and therefore not recorded.

Which brings us to the last signal, after the station stop, and right before the switch. If that signal was showing clear, as several reliable witnesses have reported, then again depending on the rules of Metrolink, that signal may or may not have been called by the engineer. And of course the question still remains, is that an area where the repeaters do pick up transmissions?

 

[Spokker]

Apparently, not only did the Metrolink engineer send a text right before the crash, so did the freight train's conductor.

I'm really sick of all this. I hope everyone is fired. I hope the CEO of BNSF is fired. I hope Metrolink is dissolved and a new agency takes its place. Enough is enough, you know? Two supervisors were fired. No, the entire board should be fired. The CEO of Metrolink should be fired.
Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner somehow avoids colliding into freight trains while operating on the same exact tracks. Are they doing something Metrolink isn't?

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner somehow avoids colliding into freight trains while operating on the same exact tracks. Are they doing something Metrolink isn't?

 

[WhoozOn1st]

I hope the CEO of BNSF is fired.

I wholeheartedly agree. Firing the CEO of a railroad that had nothing to do with a deadly accident is always a step in the right direction.

 

[AlanB]

I hope everyone is fired. I hope the CEO of BNSF is fired.

Why would you fire the CEO of BNSF for a Metrolink train that crashed into a Union Pacific freight train? :unsure: :unsure:

 

[jackal]

I hope everyone is fired. I hope the CEO of BNSF is fired.

Why would you fire the CEO of BNSF for a Metrolink train that crashed into a Union Pacific freight train? :unsure: :unsure:

Indeed. Everything I've heard about BNSF CEO Matt Rose has been nothing but positive.

 

[Spokker]

I hope the CEO of BNSF is fired.

I wholeheartedly agree. Firing the CEO of a railroad that had nothing to do with a deadly accident is always a step in the right direction.

Fire every executive connected to the railroads in any way.

 

[jackal]

I hope the CEO of BNSF is fired.

I wholeheartedly agree. Firing the CEO of a railroad that had nothing to do with a deadly accident is always a step in the right direction.

Fire every executive connected to the railroads in any way.

Either you're being facetious or you're misunderstanding the situation.

The incident happened between a Metrolink train and a UP train on Metrolink (SCRRA) trackage (former UP [former-former SP] trackage which is connected up the line to UP trackage). BNSF was not involved in any way, not even by the remotest stretch of anyone's imagination.

BNSF's safety record is, as I understand it, one of the better ones in the industry. I see no reason to 86 Rose or anyone else connected to BNSF.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Fire every executive connected to the railroads in any way.

Hear hear! Replace all those hideous incompetents with people who know how to run a business right: bank presidents, Wall Street honchos, and auto executives. Declare cellphones to be weapons of mass destruction and charge him with waging a "War on Error."

Makes sense to me...

EDIT: This post has been edited by a moderator or administrator in such a way as to render it almost as senseless as the quote to which it was responding. Good Going!!

 

[Tony]

Fire every executive connected to the railroads in any way.

I wonder if I could apply for one of those, then empty, jobs?

 

[frj1983]

I wonder if Metrolink might be reconsidering it's contract with Connex????? :huh:

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Heads are rolling, and I'd be surprised if this is the end of it.

Metrolink jettisons 2 managers

"Connex employees were supervisors of the engineer involved in the deadly Chatsworth crash."

Both fired managers were Amtrak holdovers when Metrolink changed operating contractors in 2005.

In response to frj1983 above, there was an article a while back (linked somewhere in this thread, if memory serves) which reported that Metrolink's legal department has been directed to look for ways to get out of the Connex (Veolia Transportation subsidiary) contract.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Here's a letter to the editor from the 3-6-09 L.A. Times. To spare readers the hassle of slogging through the day's other 11 letters I've resorted to the rare expedient of copy/paste:

Re “Metrolink practices scrutinized,” March 2

The Times' article on Metrolink's frequent "red light running" left me stunned in disbelief.

I'm no railroad engineer, but I still remember KTLA's "Engineer Bill," circa the 1950s -- he played "Red Light, Green Light" with his milk, and his timeless axiom was that "no engineer would ever run on a red light." It makes me wonder what the current crop of engineers is drinking.

_________________________

Off topic (and totally outing myself as an old guy ), I well remember Engineer Bill, whooz local L.A. show, "Cartoon Express," lasted into the late 1960s. Here's a YouTube video of the program. Ten minutes, with the Red Light/Green Light milk drinking game at the end. Engineer Bill (Bill Stulla, who passed away last August at 97) has his pint-sized guests rattle off the rules of the game, with each repeating the mantra "No engineer would ever run a red light."



Enjoy. It's a real hoot!

EDIT: The letter author mistakenly credits KTLA (Channel 5) with having "Cartoon Express." Engineer Bill was on KHJ-TV Channel 9, and says so in the video.

 

[p&sr]

Fire every executive connected to the railroads in any way.

To be effective, you'd also have to fire everybody who runs the trains, everybody who fixes them, and everybody who cleans them. May as well fire everybody who rides them too.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Greetings from San Diego. Whooz & Saxman's SAN Turn trip report soon.

Reports of negligence fuel pain after Metrolink crash

"Disclosures may help increase compensation awards, experts say. Metrolink and Connex, the company that employed the engineer, are suing each other over who bears liability."

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Metrolink might hire its own crews in wake of deadly crash

"The commuter rail agency has contracted out most of its operations since being created. But the Chatsworth collision that killed 25 last September has prompted some rethinking."

"'Contracting out served the agency well when it was much smaller, when it had fewer customers,' said [Metrolink board member Richard] Katz. 'Where the system is today, and the role the system plays, is much different. It essentially is growing up, and it calls for a different kind of management.'"

Included is a link to a slideshow with voiceover comments by a passenger who was injured in the 9-12-08 wreck. She still rides Metrolink, but among other things only sits facing backward nowadays.

At the end of the article a Metrolink spokeswoman is cited as noting that new passenger rolling stock will begin arriving in June.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Further developments on the issue of where train crews will come from, and a return to Amtrak as operator is not ruled out:

Metrolink may hire train crews itself

"The rail agency looks to end the practice of subcontracting."

"But directors of the five-county Metrolink agency, while unanimously following a staff recommendation to end train crew subcontracting, also left the door open to partnering with Amtrak. Metrolink directors gave officials of the national passenger rail service two weeks to come up with proposals for contracting out train crews and possibly other workers."

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

AS promised when something official is available here is a NTSB animation of the oficial sequence

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Wreck repercussions continue. Metrolink's board has voted unanimously to negotiate a return to Amtrak as contract operator instead of the agency attempting to hire train crews itself.

Metrolink seeks deal for crews

"Board members said they want negotiations with Amtrak to move quickly. They agreed to keep open the option of bringing the train crews in-house if contract talks break down."

 

[Bob Dylan]

Wreck repercussions continue. Metrolink's board has voted unanimously to negotiate a return to Amtrak as contract operator instead of the agency attempting to hire train crews itself.
Metrolink seeks deal for crews

"Board members said they want negotiations with Amtrak to move quickly. They agreed to keep open the option of bringing the train crews in-house if contract talks break down."

Very interesting,perhaps the clowns that are running CapMetro here in Austin should contract with Amtrak since they are claiming that its taking 2 years to train OBS and Supervisory folks and the trains still arent running and the $$$ flows out!!Sounds like a good idea to me,experience always counts in highly skilled work and Amtrak employees are way above average IMHO!!!

 

[Ispolkom]

Wreck repercussions continue. Metrolink's board has voted unanimously to negotiate a return to Amtrak as contract operator instead of the agency attempting to hire train crews itself.

Would this mean AGR points for Metrolink trains?

 

[WhoozOn1st]

A more detailed version of the Metrolink/Amtrak operating contract story was found in the local rag, of all places:

Metrolink board votes to replace operator Connex

 

[RTOlson]

Would this mean AGR points for Metrolink trains?

Probably not. Amtrak provides services to Caltrain, but they are not Amtrak's trains (and you don't get any AGR points)

I think having Amtrak operate Metrolink trains could work, but I would definitely hope that Metrolink and Amtrak work hard to ensure a quality service. IIRC, Amtrak has operated trains for Metrolink in the past before the regional agency went with the company owned Veolia.

 

[Ispolkom]

Would this mean AGR points for Metrolink trains?

Probably not. Amtrak provides services to Caltrain, but they are not Amtrak's trains (and you don't get any AGR points)

I think having Amtrak operate Metrolink trains could work, but I would definitely hope that Metrolink and Amtrak work hard to ensure a quality service. IIRC, Amtrak has operated trains for Metrolink in the past before the regional agency went with the company owned Veolia.

You're right, I see in the article that Amtrak is already running four Metrolink lines, and no points on them.