47 injured in Muni train crash (San Francisco)

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Forty-seven people were injured today, four of them seriously, when a Municipal Railway train rear ended another Muni train at the West Portal Station, authorities said.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene following the crash, which occurred just before 3 p.m. when an L Taraval smashed into the back of a K Ingleside train near the station's boarding platform, said Muni spokesman Judson True.

The impact of the crash shattered the front window of the L train and crumpled its steel nose. The shattered windshield, apparently made of safety glass, stayed in place. Both trains were headed in the outbound direction.

... It was the latest in a spate of mass transit accidents around the country.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/18/BA3C18RJGG.DTL&tsp=1

nt

The interchange was very busy,but seemed to be managed quite well. I wonder what happened?

That is assuming the signals were working and showed red for the already occupied track.

personal injury lawyers.

:-)

Now on a very serious note... I know, I know these things come in threes... old EMS saying... but still

:kick:

I take the L Taraval nearly every day.. and its a good thing I stayed home today.

I don't understand why that train was going that fast coming into West Portal in the first place. The distance between Castro Street Station and Forest Hill is fairly far, (this is all underground until you get to West Portal Station) so the trains do go fast there..but going to the next stop, West Portal, is not that long of a distance, and there is no reason for those trains to go so fast. Besides, they always slow down when they come to the station going outbound.

It will be interesting to find out why this happened.

MUNI just had their fares increased this month.. Looks like that might end up going towards all the law suits that will be filed.


Just found this:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=6922080

at the stations were automated.

:mad:

Did the bozo mayor layoff muni rail inspectors and engineers?

If so, that could explain the eyewitness that said he appeared to be hunched over before the collision.

type of positions. I'll be anxious to here the results of the investigation.

so I'd think you can't drive a train with it either. The FRA has rules about that. The problem is that the Federal Railroad Administration does not cover light rail systems such as MUNI or BART. So it depends upon what state law says.

that would cost money. :(