MURRAY — A Utah mom was left helpless when she was separated from her young child after TRAX train doors closed.

"She was gone and there was nothing I could do about it," said mother Whitney Gines.

Gines said she was transferring from FrontRunner to a TRAX red line. She boarded her 3-year-old daughter onto the train, and she turned to pick up her stroller and car seat.

"A lady began to help me with the stroller and the doors began to close," Gines said.

Gines said she tried to prevent the doors from closing by placing her hand in between the doors, but they continued to close. She said she then pressed the green "open" button on the outside of the train, but the doors remained closed.

"There wasn't anything I could do to get her back to me," Gines said.

Gines was able to reconnect with her daughter with the help of Utah Transit Authority Police.

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Other riders said they have had similar problems with doors.

"I had it close while I was on it, and it closed and shut on me while I was in between," said UTA rider Manuel Samora.

Another rider said they have had difficulties with the open button.

"I'll go to push the button, and it just pulled up, and people have gotten on, and I'm pushing, and it won't open," Sean Radke said.

A UTA train operator said the operator grants and denies access to passengers depending on the status of the train. The doors will only open if the button outside the train is highlighted.

The Utah Transit Authority released a statement in regards to the situation:

"We urge families to board together to avoid being separated. The doors on our TRAX trains are designed not to close on people, and will not. However, the train will depart once all the doors are shut, so we urge passengers to be alert when boarding."

Gines said she doesn't blame UTA, but plans on traveling with less next time.

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