BART: Failed attempt to manually route train after system glitch preceded derailment, fire
The investigation into the New Year's Day derailment and fire aboard a BART train has so far revealed that a manual repositioning of a failed track interlocking sent the train onto the wrong track, and the operator's attempt to reposition the train led to the derailment.
Nine people were hurt when the train partially derailed just outside the Orinda station Monday morning, forcing more than 100 passengers to evacuate from the train after a fire was sparked under two of the cars.
BART said in a press statement Wednesday that the section of track where the derailment occurred, including the interlocking, was recently replaced and was in good operating condition. The agency's train control system is currently being modernized in a major rebuilding project.
Computer communication issue
BART said at 8:45 a.m., the computer system that monitors and manages the tracks lost communication with a field device that includes the interlocking between the Orinda and Lafayette stations, which meant the route alignments could not be controlled remotely. The system fails in a safe mode, BART said, allowing service to continue as crews troubleshoot the issue; one train passed through the area headed toward Antioch.
At 8:50 a.m., the BART Operations Control Center instructed the operator of an Antioch-bound train to manually align a straight-through route at the failed interlocking. The train operator left the cab to align the track route and confirmed the straight-through alignment to the control center, BART said.
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The control center told the operator to proceed and drive the train in manual mode through the area, but once moving, the train operator reported that the train was incorrectly crossing over to the opposite track, BART said. The train operator was then instructed to go to the opposite end of the train and move it back toward the SFO direction to clear the interlocking area and correctly align the train for a straight-through path, according to the agency.
Train alignment correction
Once the train began to move back, two cars derailed under slow speed causing electrical arcing, smoke, and flames, BART said. Some riders immediately began self-evacuating using the emergency door release. At 9:05 a.m. the train operator reported to the control center that the train had derailed; the operator walked through each car instructing passengers to evacuate, BART said.
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Orinda Police arrived first at the scene to help passengers evacuate safely. The Orinda Fire Department arrived to put out the flames. BART estimated that 100 to 150 passengers were safely evacuated from the train; the injuries reported were said to have been minor.
BART said the investigation into the derailment would continue and it would provide the California Public Utilities Commission with a report within 60 days of the incident.