GOLDEN, Colo. — Two people were taken to a hospital with what were described as minor injuries after a Regional Transportation District light rail train derailed today at the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden.
The RTD said in a press release that the first car of a W Line light rail train derailed about 9:30 a.m. Five people — the operator and four passengers — were on board, with two of the passengers transported to the hospital by first responders.
Video on the KUSA-TV website indicates the train ran off the end of track and up a hillside at the station, knocking down a poll supporting the overhead catenary line.
The Government Center station is closed until further notice, with shuttle bus service replacing light rail operation between Red Rocks College and the Government Center station.
The pictured lead unit in the grass in Golden, CO reminds me of the first railroad Golden Book my folks bought me in the late 40s when I was about 2 Y.O.; a fairy tale about a young locomotive that wouldn’t stay on the tracks and loved to run through the weeds chasing after wildlife. I wonder if that RTD motorman had the same aspirations…lol!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/988123.Tootle
…”the creeps who run the MBTA…”. Good one, Charles. And Maura is still on the hunt for a General Manager. IMO, given the state of things including the mess at CRRC Springfield, no transit professional in his/her right mind would take that job for any price. And I’ve written that on at least one after-article comment line at the Boston Globe.
I would not call that a derailment. That’s a train wreck plain an simple. Either someone didn’t stop for the platform or there was some kind of a mechanical failure.
Is that a derailment or ran off the end of the tracks?
Whatever it is, someone needs to explain what happened and why. We can expect this stuff from the creeps who run MBTA or the Washington (D.C.) subway. We expect more at Denver.
Reminds me of several trucks I’ve seen that used the up-mountain runaway safety ramps in PA when they lost control.