USA - Texas level crossing safety failure

[John Ashworth]

Cap Metro Figures Out Safety Failure

My Fox Austin
Last Edited: Monday, 23 Feb 2009, 5:49 PM CST
Created On: Monday, 23 Feb 2009, 4:49 PM CST

Rudy Koski

AUSTIN - Capitol Metro safety investigators now know why a critical safety system failed. It happened during a demonstration at one of its rail road crossings on Wednesday, February 18.

Work crews are spending a lot of time on the agency's railroad. They are making sure the wiring that triggers warning signals at each crossing is hooked up. That wasn't the case February 18th, during what was billed as a safety demonstration at the 51st St. crossing.

While the incident was embarrassing for the drivers who got caught between the gates, it was worse for Cap Metro. The fail-safe system, which is designed to keep a gate open and allow trapped vehicles to escape, did not work. A train was on the way, and police officers had to push the gate up to allow the cars to escape. Investigators who were sent to find out why the fail-safe actually did fail got a surprise.

"Inadvertently, the city had put a sign in along the right of way, and that particular sign, during the installation; it penetrated one of the wires that control the gates at that crossing," said Capitol Metro Spokesperson Adam Shaivitz.

The sign that cut the wire is now in a better location, and the gates are working. New rounds of test runs are also underway between Leander and downtown. Each MetroRail train must complete a series of trials before passenger service can being March 30th. Knowing how the trains perform on the tracks is important, but getting an idea of the greatest threat facing Cap Metro may be as simple as looking further down the line.

In Houston, light rail trains run through downtown, for the most part, sharing the road with cars. It's not a peaceful coexistence. In 2007, there were 34 accidents and in 2008 there were 53. Half of the collisions were caused by drivers not paying attention. Cap Metro's trains merge with traffic for three blocks as they approach the downtown station. That stop, along with more than 70 crossings between downtown and Leander, leave a lot to worry about.

"I've seen them, but I have not paid much attention to them," said Austin driver Marie Crandall, who now promises to start thinking about them a little more.

Understanding there is a learning curve, Cap Metro plans to have police monitor high traffic crossings. Not only during the test runs, but also after passenger service begins March 30.

Future train riders will get a chance to board one on Friday. A MetroRail train will be at the downtown station from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m.