A preliminary federal investigation into last month's fiery Caltrain crash in San Bruno indicates a worker informed dispatchers the tracks were clear of maintenance workers and their vehicles 35 minutes before the collision.
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The National Transportation Safety Board, the agency investigating the March 10 crash in which 14 people were injured, said in a preliminary report published on Wednesday that the roadway worker-in-charge released an exclusive track occupancy at 9:58 a.m., just eight minutes after first asking for one.
During an exclusive track occupancy, a dispatcher can hold trains from moving through certain areas. But at 10:33 a.m., the southbound 506 train collided with three maintenance vehicles used for electrification work on Caltrain’s tracks.
"We appreciate the investigation details outlined in the NTSB's Preliminary Report," Michelle Bouchard, Caltrain's executive acting director, told KCBS Radio in an emailed statement on Wednesday. "We look forward to continuing to work with the NTSB as a full report on this incident is developed."
Wednesday's report didn’t specify why the worker-in-charge released the exclusive track occupancy. The train's engineer applied the emergency brake after seeing three vehicles on the track, but not in time to avoid crashing into them, according to investigators.
Caltrain and its contractors estimated $1.4 million in property damage from the crash, which resulted in delays, reduced service and the short postponement of additional electrification work due to cleanup. The agency resumed full weekday service on April 4 – three days after it was originally scheduled to do so – and began offering 50% of fares at the beginning of the month.
The federal investigation into the crash is ongoing. According to Wednesday's report, investigators will shift their focus to regulatory compliance, railroad worker safety, training and oversight. Federal investigators began examining the accident site a day after the crash, and they have already tested the train's brake system and conducted interviews.
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