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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Transit Authority on Wednesday concluded that operator error caused Sunday's TRAX derailment that hospitalized three people.
"It is apparently an unfortunate mistake by the operator. The train was going over-speed into the curve," said Dave Goeres, UTA's chief safety and security officer. "The operator accelerated too fast."
The train was going an estimated 37 mph when it took the turn, he said. The normal speed for that stretch of tracks is 15 mph.
On Sunday, a Green Line train had just left the Central Pointe Station and was traveling south when it derailed on a curve near 210 W. 2185 South, at a point where the Blue Line and Red Line trains can continue south, and Green Line trains switch to tracks heading to West Valley City.
A couple of the 14 passengers who ride that route frequently told the Deseret News they could tell right away that the train was moving too fast.
Asked why the operator accelerated too quickly, Goeres said that is still under investigation.
As for claims by at least one passenger that the operator appeared to be driving "angry," Goeres said, "There's no indication there was any anger issue during operation of the train."
He said UTA officials interviewed the operator, looked at surveillance video and listened to audio from the train that day.
"We didn't see (anger) in his operations," Goeres said, while admitting that judging a person's attitude is also subjective.
When asked what the train operator, a TRAX veteran who had driven that route many times before, said about why he accelerated too fast, Goeres said Tuesday he didn't have an explanation.
He added that no deficiencies were found in the train or the tracks, and both were functioning properly that day.
The TRAX operator remained on administrative leave Wednesday pending completion of the full investigation.
