Results tagged “train”

The Gold Line's Eastside Extension is opening on November 15th, but how does one get to the light rail line? Other than the big connections at Union Station (Red Line, etc), what other bus lines connect to it?

Tomorrow, politicians and the media will test out the new 6-mile Gold Line Eastside Extension, but not before Metro's in-house media, former LA Times reporter Steve Hymon and transit blogger Fred Dennstedt, took a ride. In a post, they shared notes with the public.

The Amtrak Surfliner departed San Diego 10:35 a.m. last Saturday -- right on time. But Train 571, a weekend-only train filled with families and weekend adventurers, never made it to its final destination -- Union Station, LA.

Thanks to a U2 concert at the Rose Bowl this Sunday evening, train service will be extended into the wee hours of Monday morning. 100,000 people are expected to descend upon the stadium and officials with the Rose Bowl and Live Nation--both which paid for the extended service--are encouraging fans to take public transit.

It was January 26th, 2005 when Juan Alvarez parked his gasoline-drenched Jeep Cherokee on train tracks in Glendale. He said it was an attempt to commit suicide before he changed his mind the last minute. He jumped out of the way before "a fast-moving Metrolink train struck the SUV, derailed and struck a parked Union Pacific locomotive before colliding with another Metrolink train traveling in the other direction," as the Associated Press describes. 11 people died and 180 were injured. Alverez was convicted of murder last year.

According to a report posted on Metro's website, it appears the Gold Line Eastside Extension could be opening on Saturday, November 14th. It is listed in a powerpoint presentation (.pdf) meant for a board committee meeting this Wednesday.

If you see the Gold Line running through the Eastside and East L.A. on a regular basis next week, don't think you can hop on board at the nearest station. Metro officials announced today that pre-revenue light rail train testing will begin Sunday, lasting at least a month before opening to the public.

Ever since last week's hyped announcement of federal funding for the MagLev train between Anaheim and Las Vegas, there's been a lot of talk and some updates. First, "the Federal Railroad Administration has made neither an award nor an announcement with regard to funding for maglev development in Nevada," said spokesman Mark Paustenbach on Thursday, the day after Governor Gibbons made the announceme

     

Yesterday, friends, family, co-workers, and community members gathered in Stoney Point Park in Chatsworth to hold a memorial service and dedication of a plaque to honor the lives lost one year ago in the Metrolink-Union Pacific train crash. In addition to the Chatsworth event on Saturday a memorial was held in Simi Valley at the Metrolink Memorial Plaza, which was where Metrolink 111 would have next stopped had the train not collided with a freight train. There at the station, "individual plaques bearing the name of each person who died in the crash, and messages suggested by their families," have been installed at the east platform, according to the Daily Breeze.

First there were signs in front of fire stations (see above) and now a mailer using images from the Chatsworth train crash (see below) that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is calling "tasteless, offensive and misleading."

Although the installation of new gates along Metro rail lines has been partially suspended, a pilot program of sorts will be going in at Union Station and a number of others soon. "It was decided last week to do a pilot test of the gating system at four stations," Metro told Damien Newton at LA Streetsblog in an e-mail. "So gates will be installed at Union Station, Wilshire/Normadie, Westlake and Pershing Square stations on the Red/Purple lines. This will give staff an opportunity to test the gates and see how they are working. During the testing period, the gates will be 'free-spinning.'"

A driver, reported to be an elderly woman in an SUV by KNX1070, was killed when her vehicle was struck by a Metrolink train this afternoon in Pacoima. The train was heading towards Antelope Valley Los Angeles when the collision occurred at between Van Nuys Blvd. and Pierce St. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and a bus bridge is currently continuing service for the 22 passengers on board.

   

Although they won't be operational for some time now, the first of Metro's fare gates are being installed at the Purple Line's Wilshire/Normandie station. LAist Featured Photos contributor LA Wad shares a few shots. Expect to see these popping up at most train stations over the next few months and say goodbye to the honor system.

Metrolink has announced the addition of extra trains leaving Union Station to accommodate the expected mass of ticketed and unticketed popele that will hit the streets of downtown tomorrow. A 2:15 p.m. train will leave on the Ventura line ending in Chatsworth, a 2:30 train on the Antelope Valley line will go only as far as the Via Princessa Station and a 3 p.m. Riverside Line train will stop at the Industry Station. Additionally, a few morning downtown-bound trains that experience high volumes of passengers will have extra cars added to them. Those include Orange County trains 603 and 605 and Antelope Valley Line trains 204 and 206.

The memorial for Michael Jackson tomorrow will require shutting down a large area around the Staples Center. Metro's Blue Line Pico Station sits at the corner of that closure and while they are preparing to run service as normal, they are prepared and warning commuters of the worst case scenario, meaning massive crowds forcing the trains to operate between Long Beach and the Washington station. "We're going to run the blue line until told not to," explained Metro Spokesman Rick Jager. "The biggest impact is the busses because they've cornered off a large area." Over 50 bus lines will be re-routed (details below). "We're really urging people to plan ahead tomorrow. They will probably be a lot of delays," said Jager.

Twice a year, Metro makes a slew of changes to their schedules and transit routes in an effort to improve service and efficiency. Sunday was one of those days. Usually, there is something new and flashy to show off like a new Rapid bus route, but this summer there's no such thing. In fact, one Rapid line was discontinued in the Valley and another lost its weekend service in South LA.

Starting next week and for four months after, Blue Line train service is going to be impacted as crews integrate the Expo Line, which will run between 7th/Metro station and Culver City, sharing two stations and track. Service will run every 30 minutes instead of the usual 20 on weekdays after 8 p.m. as crews work between the Washington and 7th/Metro stations. Weekend service will not be affected. The 8.5 mile line is expected to open in 2011 with the line extending to Santa Monica in the future.

After the death of a man crossing the Metro Blue Line tracks yesterday afternoon, a 49-year-old woman was left in critical condition when she was hit and trapped beneath the train shortly before 8 p.m. near Flower and Venice in downtown. Yesterday's incidents increase the train line's statistics to 93 deaths and 826 accidents, according to transit advocate Damien Goodmon who today is calling for Congressional investigation and hearing. "It is the deadliest light rail train in the nation," a news release from his Citizens' Campaign to Fix the Expo Rail Line group said. On Wednesday, a woman was killed by a Metro bus downtown when she was hit near City Hall

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a northbound Blue Line train at about 2:30 p.m. in South Los Angeles. The man, estimated to be approximately 50 years old, was crossing at a marked crosswalk, but it is unknown if he was doing so legally, according to the LA Fire Department, who gathered the information from witnesses. The 47-year-old train operator was shaken and asked paramedics to evaluate her condition, but she declined treatment and transportation. A Sheriff's investigation is underway. This is the second Metro related death within a day's time. Last night, a woman was killed near City Hall when a bus hit her.

One boy died this morning after being struck by a Metrolink Train outside Riverside. Train 702 was traveling toward Riverside from Los Angeles when it caught up with two boys trespassing and cutting across the tracks around 7:30 a.m. The other boy survived. As of 9:20 a.m. the train was still out of service, but buses were being used to bridge riders.

On September 12, 2008, Angelenos and the nation watched in horror as emergency personnel responded to what would soon go down as the worst train crash in recent US history when a Metrolink train collided with a freight train in Chatsworth. As investigators continue to probe the incident and Robert M. Sanchez, the Engineer at the wheel on that deadly day, more information is coming to light about the man's work habits.

This is going to get old fast. In response to Barack Obama's big "State of the Union" like speech last night, the Republicans, via Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, had sharp criticisms of the President and stimulus bill including trying to reduce the MagLev train between Anaheim and Las Vegas to "bridge to nowhere" levels:

If you live or travel near the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, the street is getting a little crowded with the Academy Awards set up. As of yesterday, all lanes of Hollywood Boulevard are closed from the southeast corner of Orange Drive to Highland Avenue and will be until at least a week from today at 6 a.m. There are more closures, too, as we get closer to the ceremony on Sunday.

Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents parts of downtown, called last Holiday season's pilot program that extended the Metro Red Line to 3 a.m. a great success, saying that the program performed well despite little lead time on marketing and outreach. "[It] illustrates great demand and interest in late night transit for our City," he wrote in a letter (.pdf) to the city's Transportation Committee." He cites the following example:

A car was hit this morning when it crossed the right of way of the Metro Blue Line near 1384 E. Washington Blvd., just south of the 10 Freeway. Luckily, "it was so minor, [the driver] declined treatment and transport," explained d'Lisa Davies of the LA Fire Department. The light rail line has experienced over 800 incidents and accidents since it opened 19 years ago.

In what is the third train related death in a week, "authorities say a woman is dead after a Union Pacific freight train crashed into her sport utility vehicle on railroad tracks in Palmdale." Last weekend, two women died in separate incidents in Burbank and Chatsworth when they were hit by Metrolink and Amtrak trains, respectively.

An Amtrak train bound for Los Angeles partially derailed this afternoon as it left Chicago's union station, making it the third coast city's second train incident of the day. None of the 116 passengers aboard the Southwest Chief train were hurt after "two sets of wheels came off the tracks as the train was departing around 3:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m. PST)," reported the Associated Press. "The train was traveling at a slow speed." Update: The train was still sitting on the tracks as of 5:20 p.m. PST. "Replacement equipment will arrive at the scene within the hour and the train will proceed West-running about 5 hours late," said Amtrak spokesperson Clifford Cole in an e-mail to LAist.

Authorities are investigating the death of Myra Theresa Mina-Calove of Woodland Hills, who was struck and killed by an Amtrak train inside the tunnel near Chatsworth Park yesterday evening.

At 4:10 p.m. today The Los Angeles Fire Department reported they'd received notice of a "person struck by train in the tunnel north of Chatsworth Park." Within the hour, the LAFD reported that "1 female, 45, was pronounced, succumbing to injuries." There are no passengers on board who reported injuries as a result of the impact. No information regarding what train service, line, or number was involved, nor how the woman came to be in the train's path. If this is a Metrolink train, it will be the second death in less than 24 hours of a woman on their tracks This is the 2nd train-related death in less than 24-hours in the Valley; a 39-year-old woman was struck and died last night in Burbank.

A 39-year-old woman was struck and killed by a Metrolink train moving through Burbank last night. According the Daily News, the Burbank police say she "was struck about 6:25 p.m. at San Fernando Boulevard and Buena Vista Street." No further information has been made available. The Burbank police are investigating the incident, and they are asking that anyone with information call them at (818) 238-3000.