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WEST VALLEY CITY — A TRAX train derailed Thursday night and then collided with another train, officials said. Delays continued into the Friday morning commute.
About 7:25 p.m., a Green Line northbound train on its way to the yard for the night was turning at 3100 South and 2700 West. When the operator attempted to turn the corner, the fourth car on the train went off the tracks, derailed and slid into a power pole, said Carl Arky, Utah Transit Authority spokesman.
The train, which was empty except for the operator, "took out" the power pole and then collided with a southbound train that had 19 people on board, derailing it as well, Arky said.
No injuries were reported. Out of an abundance of caution, the 19 people were held on the train for between 45 minutes and an hour while officials ensured that all power had been turned off in the area, Arky said.
A bus bridge was put in place following the derailment between Redwood Junction and West Valley Central stations. Passengers experienced delays of up to 25 minutes.
After the accident, UTA tweeted, "We advise that riders add extra time to their trips, if possible."
Trains resumed their regular schedule — and the bus bridge was canceled — about 10:30 a.m. Friday morning, officials said.
The cause of the incident was still being investigated as of Friday night.
The investigation could take two to three weeks as officials download data, look at video from the scene and interview the operator and witnesses, Arky said.
The findings of the investigation will go through two committees, an evaluation group and then a review committee, to determine if changes need to be made, he explained.
"We're always looking to improve. Our safety record's very good, but we know that there's always room for improvement in any organization," Arky said.
Noting recent accidents involving UTA-operated trains, which some residents have expressed frustration about, Arky emphasized that most of those accidents have not been caused by UTA itself.
"We've had a string of incidents in the last month or so," Arky said, but "most of those have been incidents where our trains and our operators didn't cause the incident," he said.
Many of those incidents have involved distracted drivers or pedestrians, officials have said.
"I think people can have every faith and confidence that UTA is a very safe system to use."
Editor's note: A previous version of this article stated a car was involved in the crash after UTA officials reported that detail. They later said there was no car involved. This story has been updated to reflect that change.
