SAN FRANCISCO — “Operator fatigue” led to a September incident in which a San Francisco Muni light rail train ran through a stop and operated at high speed, jostling passengers who through the train was going to crash, the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency said Monday. The train did not derail , but one passenger reportedly suffered a concussion, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Public broadcaster KQED reports the incident, which occurred about 8:37 a.m. on Sept. 24, saw an N Judah train reach speeds of 50 mph as it exited the Sunset Tunnel and went through a stop at Duboce Avenue and Noe Street, then stopped abruptly about a half-block after merging onto Duboce Avenue. Video footage obtained by the broadcaster appears to show the operator falling asleep at the controls.
The Muni trains generally operate at an average speed of 8 to 10 mph.
The SFMTA said in a statement that it was “addressing the matter in accordance with internal protocols and the relevant contract, which included placing the operator on nondriving status.”
In a statement reported by KRON-TV, SMFTA Director of Transportation said, “We are committed to accountability in response to this specific unacceptable incident and we are taking all necessary steps to keep Muni safe and reliable for all riders and the public.”
The agency said it was reinforcing training on watching for signs of fatigue, and was working with Siemens, manufacturers of its new light rail vehicles, on software that could limit train speeds.
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