2008 Chatsworth train collision

Collision in Los Angeles, California, U.S. the 1887 train collision at Chatsworth, Illinois 1887 Great Chatsworth train wreck November 2023 2008 Chatsworth train collision Chatsworth train crash wikinews.jpg Rescue workers in front of the Metrolink locomotive lying on its side after penetrating the lead passenger car (left) 2008 09 12 4:22:23 p.m. PDT (23:22:23 UTC) Los Angeles, California United States Ventura County Line MetrolinkUnion Pacific Railroad Collision Stop-signal overrun (SSO) due to distraction from mobile phone use Metrolink passenger trainUnion Pacific freight train 25 135 More than US$7,100,500 The 2008 Chatsworth train collision occurred at 4:22:23 p.m. PDT (23:22:23 UTC) on September 12, 2008, when a Union Pacific Railroad freight train and a Metrolink commuter rail passenger train collided head-on in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. The scene of the collision was a curved section of single track on the Metrolink Ventura County Line just east of Stoney Point. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigated the cause of the collision, the Metrolink train ran through a red signal before entering a section of single track where the opposing freight train had been given the right of way by the train dispatcher. The NTSB blamed the Metrolink train's engineer, 46-year-old Robert M. Sanchez, for the collision, concluding that he was distracted by text messages he was sending while on duty. Sanchez was among the 25 killed in the accident. This mass casualty event brought a massive emergency response by both the city and county of Los Angeles, but the nature and extent of physical trauma taxed the available resources. First responding officer Tom Gustafson described the wreck as "beyond human description". Response included California Emergency Mobile Patrol Search and Rescue (CEMP) as a first responding unit requested by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). With 25 deaths, this was the deadliest collision in Metrolink's history. Many survivors remained hospitalized for an extended period. Lawyers quickly began filing claims against Metrolink. The collision launched and reinvigorated public debate on a range of topics including public relations, emergency management, and safety, which has driven various regulatory and legislative actions, including the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Collision Metrolink commuter train #111, consisting of a 250000 lb t on EMD F59PH locomotive (SCAX 855) pulling three Bombardier BiLevel Coaches, departed Union Station in downtown Los Angeles at 3:35 p.m. PDT (22:35 UTC)https://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2008/081001.html Update: NTSB's Investigation of the Metrolink, Union Pacific Accident in California National Transportation Safety Board October 1, 2008 October 2, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081003221539/https://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2008/081001.html October 3, 2008 dead heading westbound to Moorpark in suburban Ventura County. Approximately forty minutes later, it departed the Chatsworth station with 222 people aboard, and had traveled approximately 1.25 mi 0 when it collided head-on with an eastbound Union Pacific local freight train.http://file.lacounty.gov/bos/supdocs/41082.pdf Chatsworth train derailment – Los Angeles Country Operational Area after action report Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office April 13, 2009 June 26, 2009 The freight train was led by two EMD SD70ACe locomotives, #8485 and #8491, and was pulling 17 freight cars.Collision of Metrolink Train 111 With Union Pacific Train LOF65 - 12 Chatsworth, California September 12, 2008 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR1001.pdf July 9, 2013 National Transportation Safety Board The Metrolink locomotive telescoped rearward into the passenger compartment of the first passenger car and caught fire.https://abc7.com/archive/6388256/ Commuters killed in head-on train crash September 12, 2008 September 12, 2008 KABC-TV https://web.archive.org/web/20110521102637/http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=6388256 May 21, 2011 live mdy-all All three locomotives, the leading Metrolink passenger car, and ten freight cars were derailed, and both lead locomotives and the passenger car fell over.http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/gallery?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=6388275&photo=5 Slideshow: Metrolink train crash September 12, 2008 September 12, 2008 KABC-TV https://web.archive.org/web/20110521102642/http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/gallery?section=news%2Flocal%2Flos_angeles&id=6388275&photo=5 May 21, 2011 dead The collision occurred after the Metrolink passenger train engineer, 46-year-old Robert M. Sanchez, failed to obey a red stop signal that indicated it was not safe to proceed into the single track section. The train dispatcher's computer at a remote control center in Pomona did not display a warning before the collision according to the NTSB. Metrolink initially reported that the dispatcher tried in vain to contact the train crew to warn them;http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10459251 How things went wrong in Metrolink train crash Contra Costa Times Rachel Uranga September 14, 2008 September 14, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080917222324/http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10459251 September 17, 2008 dead but the NTSB contradicted this report, saying the dispatcher noticed a problem only after the collision and was notified by the passenger train's conductor first.Amy Taxin http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/15/feds-hope-conductor-can-shed-light-deadly-crash https://archive.today/20130204062611/http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/15/feds-hope-conductor-can-shed-light-deadly-crash dead February 4, 2013 Feds hope conductor can shed light on deadly crash Associated Press The Industry Standard September 15, 2008 September 15, 2008 Both trains were moving toward each other at the time of the collision. At least one passenger on the Metrolink train reported seeing the freight train moments before impact, coming around the curve. The conductor of the passenger train, who was in the rear car and was injured in the collision, estimated that his train was traveling at 40 mph before it suddenly came to a dead stop after the collision. The NTSB reported that the passenger train was traveling at 42 mph. The freight train was traveling at about the same speed after its engineer triggered the emergency air brake only two seconds before impact, while the Metrolink engineer never applied the brakes on his train. Location The collision occurred after the freight train emerged from the 500 ft m -long mid tunnel #28, just south of California State Route 118 near the intersection of Heather Lee Lane and Andora Avenue near Chatsworth Hills Academy. The collision was in Chatsworth, a neighborhood of Los Angeles located at the northwestern edge of the San Fernando Valley.http://www.labusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aID=759699502.7805576.1681407.5054153.8224803.833&aID2=129330 Metrolink Train Collides with Freight Train in L.A. Los Angeles Business Journal September 12, 2008 September 13, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080919141516/http://www.labusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aID=759699502.7805576.1681407.5054153.8224803.833&aID2=129330 September 19, 2008 dead The trains collided on the Metrolink Ventura County Line, part of the Montalvo Cutoff, opened by the Southern Pacific Company on March 20, 1904, to improve the alignment of its Coast Line.Donovan L. Hofsommer The Southern Pacific, 1901-1985 1986 Texas A&M University Press 18 0-89096-246-4 246424321 Metrolink has operated the line since purchasing it in the 1990s from Southern Pacific (now owned by Union Pacific), which retained trackage rights for freight service. Railroad physical characteristics left|thumb|Close aerial view of the collision site. The collision occurred on the section of a single track. Both trains were on the same section of single track that runs between the Chatsworth station (which is double tracked) through the Santa Susana Pass. The line returns to double track again as it enters the Simi Valley.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/09/metrolink-a-sys.html Metrolink: A system forged from freight lines Steve Hymon Bottleneck Blog Los Angeles Times September 13, 2008 September 13, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080916000821/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/09/metrolink-a-sys.html September 16, 2008 dead Three tunnels under the pass are only wide enough to support a single track, and it would be very costly to widen them. This single-track section carries 24 passenger trains and 12 freight trains each day.http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/21/talk-of-rails-future-follows-deadly-crash/ Talk of rail's future follows deadly crash Ventura County Star Scott Hadly September 21, 2008 September 21, 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080922095443/http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/21/talk-of-rails-future-follows-deadly-crash/ September 22, 2008 The line's railway signaling system is designed to ensure that trains wait on the double-track section while a train is proceeding in the other direction on the single track. The signal system was upgraded in the 1990s to support Metrolink commuter rail services, and Richard Stanger, the executive director of Metrolink in its early years of 1991 to 1998, said the system had functioned without trouble in the past. The Metrolink train would normally wait in the Chatsworthhttp://www.local-movers.org/Moving/California/Los_Angeles_Movers.html The Los Angeles Transportation project Los Angeles Relocation Division September 22, 2008 January 1, 2015 January 1, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150101214815/http://www.local-movers.org/Moving/California/Los_Angeles_Movers.html dead station for the daily Union Pacific freight train to pass before proceeding,http://www.geo.tv/9-14-2008/24827.htm Death toll rises to 23 in train crash near LA: governor Geo Television GEO world September 13, 2008 September 13, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080926010923/http://www.geo.tv/9-14-2008/24827.htm September 26, 2008 dead unless the freight train was already waiting for it at Chatsworth. The location was not protected by a derail system to force a safe derailment of any train running past a red signal into the single-track section. Timeline +Metrolink train #111's timetablehttp://www.metrolinktrains.com/schedules/html.php?id=481 Ventura County Line Metrolink October 4, 2008 March 2025 InternetArchiveBot yes StationTime L.A. Union Station3:35 p.m. Glendale3:45 p.m. Downtown Burbank3:51 p.m. Burbank Airport–South3:55 p.m. Van Nuys4:02 p.m. Northridge4:09 p.m. Chatsworth4:16 p.m. Simi Valley4:28 p.m. Moorpark4:45 p.m. The events on September 12, 2008, leading up to the collision (all times local):http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10520015 Early start, tragic ending for Metrolink engineer Sue Doyle Contra Costa Times September 21, 2008 September 21, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080925000329/http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10520015 September 25, 2008 dead http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/01/train.crash.probe/ Engineer sent text 22 seconds before fatal train crash CNN October 1, 2008 October 1, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081003234411/http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/01/train.crash.probe/ October 3, 2008 live 5:54 a.m.Engineer Sanchez begins his 11-hour split shift. 6:44 a.m.Sanchez begins his morning run. 8:53 a.m.Sanchez finishes his morning run after exchanging 45 text messages while en route. 9:26 a.m.Sanchez finishes the first part of his shift and goes off duty. 2:00 p.m.Sanchez returns to work after reportedly taking a two-hour nap. 3:03 p.m.Sanchez begins his afternoon run. 3:30 p.m.Sanchez uses his cell phone to order a roast beef sandwich from a restaurant in Moorpark. 3:35 p.m.Metrolink train #111 departs Union Station with Sanchez at the controls of locomotive #855. 4:13 p.m.The signal north of the Chatsworth station is set to red to hold the Metrolink train. 4:16 p.m.Train #111 is scheduled to depart Chatsworth station with the next stop in Simi Valley. After departing, Sanchez runs through a track switch, but does not apply brakes. 4:21:03 p.m.Sanchez receives a seventh text message while en route. 4:22:01 p.m.Sanchez sends the last of five text messages while en route, 22 seconds before impact. 4:22:19 p.m.The locomotive crews can first see each other, 4 seconds before impact. 4:22:21 p.m.The Union Pacific freight engineer triggers the emergency brake, 2 seconds before impact. 4:22:23 p.m.The trains collide. Aftermath Emergency response The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) initially dispatched a "physical rescue" assignment at a residential address near the scene in response to a 9-1-1 emergency call from the home. The crew arrived at the address four minutes later, just before 4:30 p.m. PDT and accessed the scene by cutting through the backyard fence. Upon arrival, the captain on the scene immediately called for an additional five ambulances, then 30 fire engines, and after reaching the wreck he called for every heavy search and rescue unit in the city.https://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-rescue14-2008sep14,0,7989801.story Heroism and reality collide for rescuers at train crash site Lopez, Robert J. Therolf, Garrett Gold, Scott Los Angeles Times September 15, 2008 September 14, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080917032602/http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-rescue14-2008sep14%2C0%2C7989801.story September 17, 2008 live Hundreds of emergency workers were eventually involved in the rescue and recovery efforts, including 250 firefighters.Leanne Suter https://abc7.com/archive/6391967/ Investigation continues into deadly Metrolink crash that killed 25 in Chatsworth, Calif. KABC-TV September 15, 2008 September 15, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20110521102241/http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=6391967 May 21, 2011 live Two Los Angeles city firefighters received medals for risking their lives to enter a confined space with smoky and potentially toxic air, without their air bottles, to rescue one of the freight train crew members. LAPD Devonshire Division patrol officers arrived on scene shortly after the first LAFD Engine Company. As firefighters were putting out the flames of the burning diesel fuel that had spilled out of the freight engine, patrol officers entered the damaged, smoke-filled train cars to rescue/administer first aid to several passengers who were stranded on the upper decks due to their critical injuries. Two police officers received medals, and two others received commendations and were credited with potentially saving the lives of several injured passengers. The event was operationally identified as the "Chatsworth Incident" and was reclassified as a "mass casualty incident". All six of LAFD's air ambulances were mobilized, along with six additional helicopters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The helicopters were requested under a mutual aid arrangement.http://www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?tabid=510&newsid905=59645 Los Angeles Public Safety Helicopter Operators Assist in Train Crash Rotornews Helicopter Association International September 15, 2008 September 15, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080919004901/http://www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?tabid=510&newsid905=59645 September 19, 2008 live A review of the emergency response and the on-site and hospital care was initiated by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe immediately after the event, and was expected to take 90 days to complete.http://www.laindependent.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=4134&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1014&hn=laindependent&he=.com https://web.archive.org/web/20080928033416/http://laindependent.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=4134&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1014&hn=laindependent&he=.com dead September 28, 2008 Alice Walton Local Officials Support Railroad Safety Measures The Los Angeles Independent September 28, 2008 September 18, 2008 Casualties thumb|400px|Recovery workers stand near the rear of the Metrolink locomotive after it was removed from the lead passenger car, where most of the serious injuries and deaths occurred. A total of 25 people died in the collision, including engineer Sanchez and two victims who died at hospitals in the days following the crash.Landsberg, Mitchell Rivera, Carla https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-schools16-2008sep16,0,7050274.story Schools grieve over losses in Metrolink crash Los Angeles Times September 16, 2008 September 16, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080919033132/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-schools16-2008sep16%2C0%2C7050274.story September 19, 2008 live Oldham Jennifer Hymon Steve Simmons Ann M. and September 16, 2008 L.A. train crash death toll at 26 Chicago Tribune https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-train_tuesep16,0,3604846.story dead September 16, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080918223748/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-train_tuesep16%2C0%2C3604846.story September 18, 2008 This event is the deadliest railway collision in Metrolink's history, and the worst in the United States since the Big Bayou Canot train disaster in 1993. A total of 135 others were reported injured, 46 of them critically, with 85 of the injured transported to 13 hospitals and two transported themselves.http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10503991 Closest hospitals the last to treat Contra Costa Times September 19, 2008 September 19, 2008 Susan Abram dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120211122908/http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_10503991 February 11, 2012 Air ambulance helicopters medevaced 40 patients. LAFD Captain Steve Ruda reported that the high number of critically injured passengers taxed the area's emergency response capabilities, and patients were distributed to all 12 trauma centers in Los Angeles County. Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills treated 17 patients, more than any other hospital. Captain Ruda said his firefighters had never seen such carnage. Austin Walbridge, a train passenger, told a TV news reporter that the interior of the train was "bloody, a mess. Just a disaster. It was horrible." Emergency responders described the victims as having crush-type injuries. Dr. Amal K. Obaid, a trauma surgeon who practices at USC University Hospital where several victims were treated, described their injuries in more detail, "They have head injuries, multiple facial fractures, chest trauma, collapsed lungs, rib fractures, pelvic fractures, leg and arm fractures, cuts in the skin and soft tissue. Some have blood in the brain."Steinhauer, Jennifer Cieply, Michael https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/14crash.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&hp&oref=slogin Rail Line Says Train Ran Signal; Death Toll at 25 The New York Times September 14, 2008 September 14, 2008 A1 https://web.archive.org/web/20140812224257/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/14crash.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&hp&oref=slogin August 12, 2014 live The Los Angeles County Coroner set up an air-conditioned tent that functioned as a temporary morgue at the site. One off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer was among the confirmed deaths, as was the Metrolink train's engineer,Gold, Scott Pierson, David Winton, Richard https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-traincrash13-2008sep13,0,2874450.story At least 15 reported dead as Metrolink cars crash into freight train September 12, 2008 September 12, 2008 Los Angeles Times https://web.archive.org/web/20080915035949/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-traincrash13-2008sep13%2C0%2C2874450.story September 15, 2008 live an employee of Veolia Transport, a contracted operator of Metrolink.Landsberg, Mitchell Rubin, Joel Therolf, Garrett Los Angeles Times September 13, 2008 September 13, 2008 Metrolink train crash: 18th victim found in rubble in Chatsworth https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-traincrash14-2008sep14,0,3660884.story https://web.archive.org/web/20080915003807/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-traincrash14-2008sep14%2C0%2C3660884.story September 15, 2008 live One of the passengers who died was a survivor of the 2005 Glendale train crash.https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-traincrash-sg-storygallery.html Survivor of 2005 Metrolink Crash Dies in Chatsworth Disaster KTLA September 16, 2008 September 16, 2008 Another had been commuting by train since Metrolink's inception in 1992. Many victims were residents of suburban Simi Valley and Moorpark on their way home from work in the Los Angeles area.Kevin Clerici http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/14/Na1fcTrainCrash14/ Metrolink takes full blame Ventura County Star September 14, 2008 September 14, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080916084836/http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/14/Na1fcTrainCrash14/ September 16, 2008 dead The four other crew members of the two trains survived.Bermudez Esmeralda Linthicum Kate Connell Rich and September 13, 2008 Metrolink says its engineer failed to heed signal in Chatsworth train crash Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-traincrash14-2008sep14,0,3660884.story live September 13, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080915003807/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-traincrash14-2008sep14%2C0%2C3660884.story September 15, 2008 The conductor and engineer of the freight train were trapped inside the lead locomotive while it was engulfed in flames; the firefighters who rescued the pair found them banging on the thick glass windshield, unable to escape.https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=5847428 John Rogers Rail Collision Altered Lives in and Outside Train Associated Press ABC News September 20, 2008 September 27, 2008 October 2010 H3llBot The freight crew also had a brakeman riding in the second locomotive who was injured in the crash.https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=5898360 Freight Brakeman in Deadly LA Train Collision Sues Raquel Maria Dillon Associated Press ABC News September 27, 2008 September 27, 2008 October 2010 H3llBot The search for victims came to an end shortly after 14:30 PDT on September 13, approximately 22 hours after the collision. Service disruptions The crash disrupted service on the Pacific Surfliner and the Coast Starlight. Amtrak canceled service on the Pacific Surfliner between San Luis Obispo and Union Station in Los Angeles and Amtrak Thruway buses transported Coast Starlight passengers from Union Station to Santa Barbara to board the trains. Metrolink service on the Ventura County Line was interrupted north of Chatsworth, and all service resumed four days after the crash.http://www.ble.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=23676 Amtrak resumes full Central Coast service Times Press Recorder Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers September 17, 2008 October 2, 2008 August 22, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190822004616/https://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=23676 dead Investigation Preliminary investigation controversy Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrrell disclosed the day after the crash that a preliminary investigation of dispatch records and computers showed the engineer of the Metrolink passenger train failed to stop his train for a red railway signal, which indicated his train did not have authority to proceed on the main track. She was quoted as saying, "We don't know how the error happened, but this is what we believe happened. We believe it was our engineer who failed to stop at the signal."http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080913-1204-ca-traincollision.html Metrolink: Commuter train engineer failed to stop Associated Press The San Diego Union-Tribune Gillian Flaccus September 13, 2008 September 13, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080916101218/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080913-1204-ca-traincollision.html September 16, 2008 dead Tyrrell said that if the engineer had obeyed the signal, the crash would not have occurred. However Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metrolink board member Don Knabe said it was premature to blame the engineer, speculating that "there could always be a technical malfunction where ... there was a green light both ways."http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California/CA_Train_Collision_Cause_358681C.shtml 'Rush to judgment' in deadly LA rail crash? Blood Michael R. Associated Press The Press-Enterprise Riverside, California September 13, 2008 September 13, 2008 May 2026 medicmedic After a Metrolink board meeting two days after her remarks, Tyrrell resigned.http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20080915/metrolink-spokesperson-quits-over-dispute spokeswoman quits after dispute with board over how facts made public Daily Breeze News September 14, 2008 September 15, 2008 Tyrrell stated that she quit because a Metrolink Board statement called her announcement prematurehttp://www.ocregister.com/articles/metrolink-tyrrell-today-2157752-facts-early Metrolink spokeswoman resigns Associated Press The Orange County Register September 15, 2008 September 15, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080920031231/http://www.ocregister.com/articles/metrolink-tyrrell-today-2157752-facts-early September 20, 2008 dead and inappropriate; she maintained that it was proper to get out in front of the story before the NTSB took over the investigation. She stated that she asked for and received authorization to make the comments from David Solow, Metrolink's chief executive. Solow confirmed that he did give authorization, but said that, in hindsight, he should not have given permission. After her resignation, some good government proponents praised Tyrrell for her candor, including the chief public advocate with California Common Cause.Louis, Sahagun Williams, Carol J. and September 16, 2008 Metrolink spokeswoman resigns amid criticism over blaming engineer for crash Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tyrrell16-2008sep16,0,3466670,full.story dead September 16, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080919050937/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tyrrell16-2008sep16%2C0%2C3466670%2Cfull.story September 19, 2008 The Los Angeles Times also published an editorial by columnist Patt Morrison sympathetic to Tyrrell's position, in which she says, "I am unclear of the concept of how the truth can somehow be premature. The truth is the truth."https://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-morrison18-2008sep18,0,3736930.column Honesty in the L.A. Metrolink crash Patt Morrison Patt Morrison Los Angeles Times September 18, 2008 September 19, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080925080507/http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-morrison18-2008sep18%2C0%2C3736930.column September 25, 2008 dead Official investigation The NTSB led the official investigation to determine the probable cause, but NTSB officials had not commented on the crash prior to the Metrolink statement. In a subsequent press conference at the scene two hours after Tyrrell's comments, an NTSB official cautioned that the cause of the collision was still under investigation. The NTSB studied the data from the train event recorders, which had been recovered by NTSB investigators working at the scene. The Metrolink train had two data recorders, one badly damaged, and the freight train had a data and a video recorder. The NTSB said it would collect other evidence and interview witnesses to try to officially report within a year's time why the crash occurred. Tests of the railway signal system after the collision showed it was working properly, and should have shown proper signal indications to the Metrolink train, with two yellow signals as the train approached the Chatsworth station, and a red signal at the switch north of the station.Hennessy-Fiske Molly Connell, Rich Lopez, Robert J. and October 4, 2008 Witnesses say light was green just before Metrolink train crashed Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-traincrash4-2008oct04,0,1252160.story October 4, 2008 "We can say with confidence that the signal system was working," the lead NTSB board member stated at a news conference after the tests. This focused the NTSB investigation on human factors. Before releasing the collision scene and allowing restoration of service, the NTSB also conducted a final sight distance test. An identical Metrolink train and pair of Union Pacific locomotives were brought together at the point of impact and slowly backed away from each other. The test showed that the trains' engineers could not see each other until less than five seconds before the collision. The surviving crew members could not be interviewed by the NTSB immediately after the collision because they were still recovering from their injuries.http://kfiam640.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=153218&article=4240672 NTSB: Engineer Ignored Signal To Stop : Electronic displays at a train dispatch center in Pomona showed no warnings or indications something had gone wrong until after the collision. KFI News September 15, 2008 September 15, 2008 Eric Leonard https://web.archive.org/web/20081026081833/http://kfiam640.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=153218 October 26, 2008 dead The NTSB was able to interview the Metrolink conductor about recorded radio communications, which did not capture the required communication between the conductor and engineer on the aspects displayed by the last two signals the train passed before the collision. He confirmed they did not call out the last two signals. The NTSB also stated that a railroad switch showed evidence of damage consistent with the Metrolink passenger train "running through" the trailing switch points while they were set to allow the freight train to proceed onto the adjacent track, forcing them out of the way. "The switch bars were bent like a banana. It should be perfectly straight," according to the NTSB official. The NTSB member in charge of the investigative team said they were also concerned with possible fatigue issues related to the engineer's split shift.https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=5819947 NTSB: Train Engineer Didn't Brake Before Collision Associated Press ABC News Daisy Nguyen September 17, 2008 September 18, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080919211602/http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=5819947 September 19, 2008 dead The engineer worked an 11.5-hour shift split with a 3.5-hour break, leaving only nine hours away from work between workdays. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is also investigating to determine if any federal safety regulations were violated. The California Public Utilities Commission, the state agency responsible for regulating railroads, also reported that it has ten investigators with railroad experience working in conjunction with the NTSB, and will also be looking into the matter of the Tyrrell resignation.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/09/state-cell-phon.html State: cellphone use by engineers should be banned Bottleneck Blog Los Angeles Times Steve Hymon September 15, 2008 September 15, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080924085707/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/09/state-cell-phon.html September 24, 2008 dead Possible false green Before the conclusion of the formal investigation, three witnesses came forward to say that they observed the signal to be green as the Metrolink train departed the Chatsworth station just before the collision. A newspaper reporter interviewed the witnesses at the station, and confirmed that the signal was visible from the station, and that the witnesses could correctly identify the colors displayed. A safety consultant said that although this type of signal failure is extremely rare, he had seen it twice before in his 13-year career as a locomotive engineer. The NTSB considered the eyewitnesses' accounts and, based on the results of its tests of the signal system and on the distance between the witnesses and the signal, rejected them as "contrary to the other evidence".January 21, 2010 Railroad Accident Report: Collision of Metrolink Train 111 with Union Pacific Train LOF65–12 Chatsworth, California, September 12, 2008 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR1001.pdf Washington, D.C. National Transportation Safety Board Railroad Accident Report NTSB/RAR-10/01 September 25, 2010 Text messaging thumb|KCAL-TV news showed a text message allegedly sent by the Metrolink train's engineer 22 seconds before the crash. Local television news broke the story that the Metrolink engineer was exchanging brief text messages with a 16-year-old railfan while operating the train,https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/us/15crash.html Warning System Could Prevent Train Crashes The New York Times Randal C. Archibold September 14, 2008 September 16, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081209073707/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/us/15crash.html December 9, 2008 live a violation of Metrolink rules according to the agency.http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/96805.php NTSB tests visibility at site of LA train crash Daisy Nguyen Associated Press Tucson Citizen September 16, 2008 September 16, 2008 June 17, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160617032536/http://tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/96805.php dead The last message received from the engineer, time-stamped at 4:22:01, 22 seconds before the collision,http://www.ktla.com/pages/content_landing_page/?Metrolink-Engineer-May-Have-Sent-Text-Me=1&blockID=56225&feedID=1198 Report: Metrolink Engineer May Have Been Text Messaging KTLA September 13, 2008 September 13, 2008 June 2017 InternetArchiveBot yes http://cbs2.com/local/Metrolink.Engineer.Deadly.2.817045.html EXCLUSIVE: Engineer In Deadly Metrolink Crash Sent Text Message Just Before Collision KCAL-TV September 13, 2008 September 13, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080917001330/http://cbs2.com/local/Metrolink.Engineer.Deadly.2.817045.html September 17, 2008 dead reportedly said, "yea ... usually @ [sic] north camarillo," referencing Camarillo, a town farther down the line, where the engineer expected to meet another train. The NTSB did not recover the engineer's cellphone in the wreckage and said the teenagers were cooperating with the investigation, initially noting that similar rumors about an engineer using a cell phone from an investigation recently conducted in Boston were unfounded. After receiving the engineer's cell phone records under subpoena, the NTSB confirmed that the engineer was texting while on duty, but had not yet correlated the messages with the collision timeline. After completing a preliminary timeline, the NTSB placed the last text message sent by the engineer at 22 seconds before impact. An NTSB representative refused to comment further on the preliminary timeline, which investigators were still refining.https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crash2-2008oct02,0,4888640.story Metrolink engineer sent text message moments before fatal crash Connell, Rich Hymon, Steve Lopez, Robert J. Los Angeles Times October 4, 2008 October 2, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081004034407/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crash2-2008oct02%2C0%2C4888640.story October 4, 2008 live Two University of Southern California academics used the information in the NTSB statement to determine that the last text message sent by the Metrolink train's engineer would have been sent a few seconds after he had passed the last red signal. This would make unconsciousness an unlikely cause for this error, since the engineer was able to compose and send the message; instead a psychology professor from the University of Utah raised the possibility that "inattentional blindness" caused the engineer to fail to see the signal. The day after the NTSB confirmed the engineer was texting, and less than one week after the collision, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously passed an emergency order to temporarily ban the use of cellular communication devices by train crew members, citing this collision and a previous San Francisco Municipal Railway collision where the train operator was using a cell phone.http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/09/calif-temporari.html Calif. temporarily bans train crews from using cellphones USA Today Michael Winter September 18, 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080919150946/http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/09/calif-temporari.html September 19, 2008 A week later, texting while driving an automobile was outlawed in California, effective January 1, 2009.https://www.latimes.com/technology/la-me-arnold25-2008sep25,1,3722911.story Schwarzenegger outlaws text-messaging while driving Los Angeles Times Nancy Vogel September 25, 2008 September 25, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080926090839/http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-me-arnold25-2008sep25%2C1%2C3722911.story September 26, 2008 live There was no federal regulation prohibiting cell phone use by train crews at the time of the collision, but the NTSB had recommended the Federal Railroad Administration address the issue in 2003, after concluding cell phone use by a freight train engineer contributed to a fatal head-on train collision in Texas in 2002. However, 19 days after the collision the FRA administrator issued Emergency Order No. 26 restricting the use of "personal electronic or electrical devices" by railroad operating employees.http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/PubAffairs/EmergencyOrder26.pdf FRA Emergency Order No. 26, Notice No. 1: Emergency Order to Restrict On-Duty Railroad Operating Employees' Use of Cellular Telephones and Other Distracting Electronic and Electrical Devises Federal Railroad Administration October 2, 2008 October 1, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081028210416/http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/PubAffairs/EmergencyOrder26.pdf October 28, 2008 dead https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=awkIqFiMJm64&refer=us U.S. Regulator Bans Mobile-Phone Use by Rail Crews Angela Greiling Keane Bloomberg News October 2, 2008 October 2, 2008 On March 3, 2009, federal investigators released records showing that the train engineer Robert M. Sanchez had allowed a train enthusiast to ride in the cab several days before the crash, and that he was planning to let him run the train between four stations on the evening of the crash. "I'm gonna do all the radio talkin' ... ur gonna run the locomotive & I'm gonna tell u how to do it," Sanchez wrote in one text.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,504127,00.html Engineer in Deadly L.A. Train Crash Let Others Sit at Controls Fox News March 3, 2009 March 3, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090303211246/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C504127%2C00.html March 3, 2009 dead Records also show Sanchez had received two prior warnings from his supervisors about improper use of cellphones while in the control cab.Connell, Rich Weikel, Dan http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/03/the-signal-syst.html Federal hearing: Metrolink engineer warned twice about cell use Los Angeles Times March 3, 2009 March 3, 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090306135622/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/03/the-signal-syst.html March 6, 2009 live Conductor's role The operating rules for trains with a single engineer is that all signals are to be reported to the conductor. This allows the conductor to 'pull the air' (apply the emergency brakes) should the engineer appear to be incapacitated for any reason. However, in this incident, according to the data video, the last two signals were not reported, nor did the conductor apply the brakes.Jackson Christopher October 2008 Another tragedy on the tracks Railway Gazette International 164 10 755 Unusually, the conductor told the engineer that the starting signal was green, rather than the other way around. http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2010/01/21/deadly-metrolink-chatsworth-crash-investigations-coming-close_201001213080.html Deadly Chatsworth Metrolink crash investigations coming to a close - JusticeNewsFlash.com NTSB's conclusions and recommendations On January 21, 2010, the NTSB issued a press release announcing its conclusions from the investigation into the collision. In the report, the NTSB concluded that the cause of the crash was most likely the result of the Metrolink engineer's use of text messaging while on duty, which led to the train passing a signal at danger and traveling into the path of the oncoming Union Pacific freight train. In addition, the Board cited the lack of positive train control on the Metrolink train as a contributing factor.Collision of Metrolink Train 111 with Union Pacific Train LOF65-12 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/RAR1001.aspx ntsb.gov National Transportation Safety Board March 27, 2018 The investigation has led the NTSB to recommend that the federal government require the installation of video and audio recording equipment in all locomotive and train operating cabs, and to reiterate its calls for positive train control, which had been on the Board's Wanted List since 1990.Forum : Positive Train Control Systems https://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/2013_Train-Control_FRM.aspx ntsb.gov National Transportation Safety Board March 27, 2018 Positive train control Positive train control (PTC) is a system of functional requirements for monitoring and controlling train movements and is a type of train protection system."Positive Train Control | Federal Railroad Administration". www.fra.dot.gov. Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 12, 2018. Attention was focused almost immediately about the lack of PTC on equipment involved in the Chatsworth collision; Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman told a reporter days after the crash that PTC "would have stopped the train before there was a collision".http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/16/tragedy-of-metrolink-train-111-looking-ahead-to/ Officials push plan to avoid rail collisions Kevin Clerici September 20, 2008 September 16, 2008 Ventura County Star https://web.archive.org/web/20080919165519/http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/sep/16/tragedy-of-metrolink-train-111-looking-ahead-to/ September 19, 2008 dead The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member leading the investigation also said she was convinced that such a system "would have prevented this accident". In 2008, Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 in direct response to the collision. It required Class I Railroad mainlines with regularly scheduled intercity and commuter rail passenger service to fully implement PTC by December 31, 2015.Positive Train Control. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration By 2015, few railroads were anywhere close to implementing PTC and asked for an extension; the deadline was extended to December 31, 2018, with a provision extending compliance to December 31, 2020, if railroads submit plans for doing the work by December 31, 2018.Liang Keith Lawmakers agree to extend automated train deadline by 3 years https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/257566-agreement-reached-on-automated-train-extension/ thehill.com October 21, 2015 The Hill March 27, 2018 The failure to implement PTC earlier was cited by the Board as a contributing factor in the 2015 Philadelphia train derailment.Derailment of Amtrak Passenger Train 188 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/RAR1602.aspx ntsb.gov National Transportation Safety Board March 27, 2018 Metrolink was the first commuter system to deploy the technology, and it is currently fully active on 341 miles of trackage owned by Metrolink. Regarding the other 171 miles of Metrolink track that are owned by freight lines BNSF and UPRR, the agency states as of 2017 that they are "working towards PTC interoperability".An Introduction to Positive Train Control (PTC) https://www.metrolinktrains.com/rider-info/safety--security/positive-train-control/ Metrolink.com March 27, 2018 Litigation As the result of a provision in the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 (105 134),http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/arc/arcact.pdf Public Law 105–134 — Dec. 2, 1997: Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 July 1, 1998 October 15, 2008 University of North Texas Libraries (a federal depository library of the United States Government Printing Office) https://web.archive.org/web/20081028210415/http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/arc/arcact.pdf October 28, 2008 live there is a US$200 million cap on the aggregate of all passengers' damage claims in a railroad crash against a passenger railroad, including punitive damages. In dividing the $200 million among the 25 dead and more than 100 injured in the Chatsworth case, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter D. Lichtman, who characterized the awards as "judicial triage", stated victims were undercompensated by at least $64 million, admitting that awards were unlikely to cover future medical expenses.Holt Jim Crash settled: Judge says $200M settlement from 2008 Metrolink crash equivalent of 'judicial triage' http://archive.signalscv.com/archives/48011/ signalscv.com The Santa Clara Valley Signal March 27, 2018 March 27, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180327212226/http://archive.signalscv.com/archives/48011/ dead Memorials Unfinished Journeys In memory of those who have died With empathy for those affected In gratitude to those who responded and rescued —Union Station memorial plaque Following the collision a temporary, spontaneous memorial of flowers and notes was erected at the Simi Valley Amtrak/Metrolink Station.Chawkins, Steve Saillant, Catherine https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-simi14-2008sep14,0,6807549.story In grieving Simi Valley, tragedy touches many Los Angeles Times September 14, 2008 September 20, 2009 On September 8, 2009, the first permanent memorial, a plaque, was placed in Union Station.Ruben Vives https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-metrolink9-2009sep09,0,6459390.story Metrolink unveils plaque honoring train crash victims Los Angeles Times September 9, 2009 September 20, 2009 The Metrolink Memorial Plaza was dedicated on September 12, 2009, at the Simi Valley station. The plaza features 11 columns, one each for the ten deceased passengers from Simi Valley and an additional one for the 14 other deceased victims. There are also 25 markers on the grounds to commemorate each victim as well as a seating area and a plaque in remembrance to the 2005 Glendale train crash.Michele Willer-Allred http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/sep/13/solemn-ceremony-dedicates-simi-valley-memorial/ Solemn ceremony held in remembrance of Metrolink train crash victims Ventura County Star September 13, 2009 September 20, 2009 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090923202205/http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/sep/13/solemn-ceremony-dedicates-simi-valley-memorial/ September 23, 2009 Two days later, on the first anniversary of the crash a memorial ceremony was held at Stony Point Park, near the location of the collision.Esmeralda Bermudez https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-metrolink-memorial13-2009sep13,0,4955582.story Ceremonies commemorate Metrolink crash victims Los Angeles Times September 13, 2009 September 20, 2009 Charles Peck phone calls One of the fatalities of the crash was a 49-year-old customer service agent to Delta Air Lines, Charles E. Peck. Utah man killed in CA train wreck https://www.ksl.com/article/news/utah/utah-man-killed-in-ca-train-wreck/4261475 KSL-TV September 14, 2008 Vogel Richard July 15, 2026 After the crash and his death, it was reported that Peck's closest family members received around 35 phone calls, which were just static and indefinite sounds, from his phone and when attempted to call the number back, the calls directly went to voicemail. A loved one’s final call https://www.dailynews.com/2008/09/17/a-loved-ones-final-call/ Los Angeles Daily News September 17, 2008 Altman Larry July 15, 2026 His phone was never recovered. Dad killed in train horror before his phone mysteriously tried to call family 35 times https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/dad-killed-train-horror-before-36654168 Daily Mirror February 4, 2026 Randall Emilia July 15, 2026 It was theorised that the phone calls occurred were due to a technical malfunction. LA Train Victim Makes 35 Phone Calls From Beyond the Grave https://gizmodo.com/la-train-victim-makes-35-phone-calls-from-beyond-the-gr-5052314 Gizmodo September 19, 2008 Fallon Sean July 15, 2026 See also Los Angeles Trains 2005 Glendale train crash, Metrolink train crash three years earlier, also on the Ventura County Line route. Bad Aibling rail accident, 2016 collision in Germany caused by the dispatcher becoming distracted by a game on his cell phone. Kirkby train crash, 2021 crash in the United Kingdom in which the train driver was prosecuted for using his cell phone whilst driving. List of American railroad accidents List of rail accidents (2000–2009) References 2 External links Los Angeles commuter train collides with freight train; over two dozen killed Witnesses: Doomed train had green light Audio and video from KNX 1070 AM Brief Overview of the Head-On Collision Between Metrolink Train 111 and a Union Pacific Freight Train, September 12, 2008, California Public Utilities Commission List of victims from the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times full coverage page Memorial at the Simi Valley Metrolink Station Gallery from KABC-TV Gallery from the Los Angeles Times Gallery from Traverse Legal, PLC NTSB report 34 16 19 N 118 36 5 W title region:US-CA_type:event_scale:5000 Category:2008 disasters in the United States Category:Accidents and incidents involving Metrolink (California) Category:Railway accidents and incidents in Los Angeles Category:Railway accidents in 2008 Category:Transportation in the San Fernando Valley Category:Railway accidents involving a signal passed at danger 2008 Chatsworth train collision Chatsworth train 2008 Chatsworth train collision Category:September 2008 in the United States Category:Driver distraction