SkyTrain Derails On The SkyBridge
Well the truth is out, a Movia Automatic Light Metro vehicle has derailed on the SkyBridge.
UPDATE: “Crews have identified a failed switch as the cause of the track issue,” notes another update Tuesday. “This has led to a SkyTrain being partially dislodged from the tracks.”
Being honest is just not in TransLink’s mandate and for almost 14 hours, TransLink never gave a hint of a derailment and still calls a derailment a dislodgement.
One wonders, why cannot TransLink be honest with the public about the issue and why do they try to hide the fact a MALM vehicle derailed on a switch!
Probable location of the derailed MALM vehicle.
The siding on the SkyBridge approach.
Posted May 31, 2022, 5:20AM PDT.
Last Updated May 31, 2022, 12:16PM PDT.
TransLink says a track issue on the SkyBridge has interrupted service between Columbia and Scott Road stations Tuesday.
Extra bus service is in place, but commuters connecting between Surrey and New Westminster are being warned to give themselves extra time.
Service on the Millennium Line, Canada Line, Production Way segment of the Expo Line are unaffected.As of noon Tuesday, crews continue to work on repairing the track issue, but there is no estimated time of reopening.“Crews have identified a failed switch as the cause of the track issue. This led to a SkyTrain being partially dislodged from the tracks on Monday evening. SkyTrain safety protocols were immediately initiated, and the passengers were safely removed from the train within 10 minutes. Crews have since inspected other switches on the system and ensured they are operating safely with no issues,” TransLink said.
“Crews have been working overnight and through the morning to lift the train back onto the tracks and repair the switch. The safety of our staff is a top priority, which is why it was crucial to continue this work with daylight. They are working hard to resolve the issue in order to resume regular service.”
So the Skytrain derailed on a bridge, well Skytrain people, the shoe is finally on the other foot. You see when our LRT partially derailed before a bridge (a two and half story bridge over a road), yet was able to continue over it, dropping parts along the track, for the rest of tge way but able to continue onto the next station before it was taken out of service. The Skytrain people said, “see Skytrain is better than LRT”. We had Transport Canada order our entire line out of service for 2.5 months until every second of that incident and any associated bad maintenance or operating failure was explained, publicly! This led to the LRT Inquiry, whose public portion just wrapped up and the official judicial one, which starts June 13 going on through until early July, at the University of Ottawa.
So when does your line get shutdown? You had passengers stranded on a train, stuck on lead to a bridge that is 2 to 4 times higher than one that so scared so many here in Ottawa. When is Translink’s track and vehicle maintenance going to be investigated by Transport Canada? No nothing? Just what I thought, a double standard.
An inexperienced snow plow operator runs into a piece of important track infrastructure at Belfast Yard and we are forced to wait 4 days before the line is restarted. You have had multiple, I say again, multiple track fires in the last 7 years and your train keeps running? No investigation by the B.C. Fire Marshall, just a report.
During the construction of the Evergreen Extension, a worker was doing preparatory electric work on the Skytrain network’s main electrical panel, which he then shorted out because his screwdriver wasn’t insulated. It took hours upon hours for Translink to evacuate everyone from all the trains, it was an embarrassing mess . The system was down for the majority of rest of that day. Service only being restored late, late into the evening. There was a report, a thick report, with many recommendations but that’s it. I don’t know if Translink instituted any of those changes, not one member of your local press ever did a story.
I’m not saying the Confederation Line shouldn’t have been investigated but a relatively new line with inexperienced staff and a frustrated public forced a joint federal-provincial court led inquiry. How come no one is pushing for one when one of your trains derails on a massive bridge at a turnout (switch), which stops it dead in its tracks by the way and forces the line out of service for most of a day, no calls for an investigation, where’s the headlines? Our LRT inquiry is national news. If I hadn’t turned to look at Zwei’s website I wouldn’t have even known this happened. A yes, a glorious double standard indeed!
Zwei replies: Just a note, I got an email from a retired TransLink type, which indicated there was a lot more wrong than TransLink would like us to know or should I say TransLink is quiet worried. Evidently the CEO phoned major media to play down the story and they did. I will endeavour to learn more!
This is a minor issue. It can be called a dislodgement or derailment. If only one wheel comes of track then it is just a dislodgement. The skytrain is over 30 years, some parts will wear out. With all railways, regular track maintenance needs to be done. The switches need to be replaced.
Zwei replies: I know you are a troll, as your email address included the word MALM. but my dear friend, your IP address gives you away. So, is SkyTrain a hot topic in London’s (UK) pubs?