NTSB Report: Two SacRT Trains Were Approved To Be On The Same Track Before August Crash

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board says two Sacramento Regional Transit trains were given permission to be on the same track before a crash in August.

The new NTSB report says a SacRT train was traveling 32 miles an hour on the Blue Line August 22 when it collided with a train that Sac RT says had been taken out of service for repairs.

The NTSB says the maintenance technician on the out-of-service train had conducted repairs and asked for permission from the Metro Control Center to enter the line. After several acceleration throttle tests, the technician brought the train to a stop, with the front of the train facing south.  

As the testing was taking place, the Blue Line train — which was 15 minutes behind schedule — was given signal approval to move northbound on the same track and collided with the stopped train at 9:38 p.m. 

The report says only one SacRT radio operator was in the control center. Sac RT says it now requires at least two people in the control room during normal operating hours under an agreement with the California Public Utilities Commission. SacRT will also test trains on the main line only after other trains have stopped running. 

Of the 27 people who were injured, 13 were taken to local hospitals.

NTSB says the report is preliminary and that a final report typically takes a year to complete.

Rail operations, the signal system, employee performance, and management oversight will be included in the final report created by one of the NTSB teams that respond to similar incidents.