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Ed Yeates and Lance Bandley ReportingAn early morning crowded TRAX train had troubles this morning, forcing operators to shuttle commuters back and forth between cars on what was a very slow ride to work. Though these incidents are still rare, they're happening as train odometers approach a million plus miles.
This morning's incident was triggered from the couplings between cars. Some passengers complained they could smell brake smoke.
Ralph Gilger, Passenger: "I arrived at the stop ten minutes later than scheduled and we just creeped along all the way, like we were on the Heber Creeper. I mean it was slow."
Ralph Gilger was one of many on the crowded train early this morning. While it was never a safety issue, the coupling between cars was sending a false signal, shutting it down and applying the brakes.
Because TRAX passes through more grade crossings than many other transit systems, more wear and tear is showing up on these connections.
Paul O'Brien, General Manager, UTA Rail Operations: "Our people are working a lot of hours and they're working at times when most of us are asleep or enjoying a picnic."
UTA's Paul O'Brien says technicians and mechanics are spending untold hours trying to service these high mileage trains, but it's proving difficult because of demand.
Paul O'Brien: "Until the university lets out we're still running the wheels off the trains. We do hope to catch up this summer when we have a little bit of a reduced demand."
Rising gas prices don't help either. People who don't normally ride the train may decide to park their cars and jump aboard, increasing ridership even more.
Paul O'Brien: "We are preparing ourselves for an upsurge in ridership."
Every day David Brewer takes the Express bus from Lehi to downtown SLC.
"Not only do they have full busses but people standing in the aisles, much more crowded conditions in the buses."
Brewer says he likes taking the bus, but it's to the point where the ride is nearly unbearable. He says commuters used to work on their laptops but now people have to squish in and stand in the aisles. UTA spokesperson Justin Jones says they expect record ridership once again.
"We hope that people will be patient especially as buses become crowded, as well as the train, but it really is a great alternative to putting a lot of fuel in the tank and paying those high gas prices."
Fuel prices have also forced UTA to cut back or alter schedules on some bus routes.
Justin Jones, UTA: "Last year's fuel budget, for example, for our bus side was 5-million dollars. This year, it's 12 and a half million dollars, and that may not even be enough."
Woes for some on the bus side and a plus for the trains, which adds complications. But still, compared with other transit systems, UTA is still ranked one of the best.
With changes in bus routes, UTA has a new schedule for both buses and trains. You can check those out at their website.
