Metrolink officials are investigating why an engineer allegedly failed to stop at a red signal as another passenger train approached. The incident was an eery reminder of last years fatal crash in Chatsworth.
According to the LA Times:
The incident last Tuesday, which occurred in late evening 2 1/2 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, has stirred up sensitive issues for the five-county agency. Last year's crash, on Sept. 12, killed 25 people and injured 135.
No injuries were reported in last week’s incident and both trains managed to stop several hundred feet apart, officials said. If investigators find he ran a red light, it would be the fourth such violation since the Chatsworth crash, including one that caused a sideswipe collision with a freight train in Rialto last November.
Facing potentially major claims over July's fatal commuter train crash in Chatsworth, the Metrolink board approved millions of dollars in safety improvements.
The safety upgrades, which will cost $10.6 million to $12.6 million, include implementing Automatic Train Stop technology, adding more engineers and conductors, and replacing incandescent light bulbs with light-emitting diodes on signals.
The Automatic Train Stop technology will be implemented at 50 locations at a cost of $1.1 million for the next three to four years, until a more advanced Positive Train Control system can be put in place.
