subject: The Three Deadliest Metrolink Train Accidents by:Nemelou Despuez [print this page] Nearly 50,000 people ride in a Metrolink train every day, making this one of the busiest public transportation systems in the United States.
While Metrolink California has improved the traffic condition of congested roads since it was first introduced in 1991, this has gained notoriety due to the major accidents which has become more common in the last decade.
2008 Chatsworth Train Collision
In September of last year, a Metrolink commuter train in Chatsworth district, Los Angeles collided with a Union Pacific freight train, killing 26 people and injuring 135 others. Investigators said this is the worst California train accident in 50 years and has made Metrolink the most dangerous train tracks in the country.
Experts said the accident was caused by human error. According to investigations, the engineer, who also died in the crash, missed a signal light warning that another train was approaching. It was later discovered he was texting few minutes before the incident.
A few weeks after the deadly train crash, the local government passed a law that bans all rail crews from using electronic devices which can be a distraction from their duties.
2005 Glendale train crash
In January 2005, a Metrolink passenger train collided with a parked vehicle along the track. The coach was derailed and hit another stationary freight train, killing at least 11 people and injuring more than a hundred.
Juan Manuel Alvarez, the man who parked the vehicle, was said to be attempting a suicide when he changed his mind for the last minute and got out of his gasoline-soaked SUV.
In June 2008, the court convicted Alvarez with 11 counts of murder and one count of arson and sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
2002 Placentia Train Accident
In April 2002, a Metrolink passenger train collided head-on with BNSF Railway freight train in Placenta, near the intersection of Van Buren Street and Orangethorpe Avenue.
According to investigators, both trains were traveling on the same track. However, the freight's engineer missed the signal warning that he should slow down to give way to Metrolink. This human error killed two people and injured 22 others.
New Technology to Improve Safety
Because of several major accidents in California, railroad officials and federal regulators are pushing for a law that will require cargo and commuter trains across the US to install "Positive Train Control" (PTC) which is a technology that will prevent collision by automatically stopping or slowing down trains if engineers miss a warning signal.
According to reports, the proposed legislation would cost the government more than $2 billion and could take years due to some technological challenges. However, the result far outweighs the cost as experts believe that it can save thousands of lives.
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