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Final Report on Chatsworth Train Crash to be Released Today
Firefighters conducting the rescue operation after the crash | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to meet this morning to discuss and finalize an 18-month investigation into the causes that factored into the 2008 head-on crash between a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train that left 25 dead and 135 injured.
At issue, according to the LA Times, are witness statements saying a light at a departing station was green, allowing the Metrolink train to proceed ahead onto the same tracks as the freight train. But technical analysis and testing indicate the light was actually red, meaning the engineer may have blown through the light as he text messaged friends.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. local time in Washington D.C. It will be streamed in a live and archived webcast, which can viewed on their website. Once the meeting is concluded, a summary of the final report, which will include findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will appear on the website. The full report will be released several weeks later.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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