UPDATE: Gold Line service suspended between Lake and Sierra Madre Villa stations due to freeway truck accident

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Fallen wire and damaged track near the resting place of the tractor-trailer.

Fallen wire and damaged track near the resting place of the tractor-trailer.

UPDATE 7:15 p.m.: At this time, cranes are working to remove the tractor-trailer that has been blocking the Metro Gold Line tracks just east of the Allen Station since approximately 1 p.m. this afternoon. The truck was involved in an accident with another big rig that shut down the eastbound 210 freeway and has suspended Gold Line service between Lake and Sierra Madre Villa Stations.

Unfortunately, the Gold Line is not expected to resume normal service by tomorrow morning. The damage caused by the tractor-trailer is extensive, including two downed poles that support the overhead power supply system, fallen wires and even damage to the track itself. Metro will not know the true extent of the damage until the vehicle has been removed from the tracks. We will provide more information once the removal has been completed—likely in another hour or two.

At this time, Gold Line trains are running every 10 minutes between Atlantic and Lake stations. The trains are three-car, full platform trains, so customers may use the entire length of the platform when boarding. Shuttle buses replace service for those traveling between Lake and Sierra Madre Villa Stations. This means customers may board a train headed toward Union Station at Lake, but will need to board a shuttle bus for east-bound service to Allen Station or Sierra Madre Villa Station.

Metro appreciates the patience of all Gold Line customers as we try to restore service safely and quickly.

More updates regarding tomorrow’s morning commute on the Gold Line will be provided later this evening.

Still of the crash on the 210 taken from Caltrans traffic camera.

Still of the crash on the 210 taken from Caltrans traffic camera.

Metro Gold Line service between Lake and Sierra Madre Villa stations has been suspended for the remainder of the day due to a big rig crash on the eastbound 210 freeway near Allen Avenue. The accident is blocking the tracks near Allen Station and has damaged parts of the tracks and the power system. All lanes on the eastbound 210 were initially closed, but reports have indicated three lanes were reopened by 4:30 p.m.

All Pasadena-bound trains will end at Lake Station and turn back to Los Angeles. Bus shuttles will replace train service between Lake, Allen and Sierra Madre Villa stations through close of service. Please allow extra time to travel through the affected area.

Pasadena ARTS buses will honor Metro fares. ARTS bus Line 40 runs service between Sierra Madre Vila, Allen and Memorial Park stations.

Normal train service will continue between East L.A. and Lake Station.

As soon as the accident is cleared, Metro will begin repairs on the damaged infrastructure. Repairs at this time are estimated to take up to 24 hours. We will continue to provide updates here at The Source. For live updates, check metro.net or follow Metro on Twitter @metrolosangeles or @metroLAalerts.

Those headed to Union Station on Metro Rail to take the Dodger Stadium Express should consider driving to the station or taking one of the many bus lines that serves Union Station. For maps and timetables: http://www.metro.net/riding/maps/

Categories: Service Alerts

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21 replies ›

  5. Just the fact that two very similar accidents have happened along the 210 Freeway in such a short amount of time should seriously raise some concerns with METRO. The last time an accident happened just a few months ago, METRO did a cheap metal siding quick patch along the barrier and then resumed operating. I think it’s still possible to see it along the right side if you’re heading to the Sierra Madre Station. This most recent damage appears more extensive based on the website photos. But all one can assume at the moment is that METRO will do another quick repair and cross their fingers that it doesn’t happen again. Which it probably will. How many more accidents will it take for METRO to open their eyes and realize that more safety needs to be implemented?

    • I recall that METRO didn’t want the Gold Line in the first place–if was forced to take it over. Maybe the “will” is still not there to build a state-of-the-art system, when there is more political punch on the West Side, The Valley and/or south LA. Where there is a will, there’s a way. No will; no way. Frankly, I wanted the Gold Line to be a METROLINK route. The line was already functioning as a heavy rail line for Santa Fe in the middle of the median and away from the margins. But “that’s so many trains under the bridge.”

  7. Do you know what the financial effects will be? Do truck drivers carry sufficient insurance to cover serious damage to infrastructure?

  8. The Chicago Transit lines in the middle of the Kennedy and Dan Ryan Expressways have stout looking chain link fencing installed over the concrete k-rail. Probably more to keep crazies off the third rail than to keep traffic out (no overhead catenary in Chgo) but it must do double duty because I don’t remember ever seeing accidents in 39 years there like we’ve seen a couple times in the last six months or so here on the 210.

  9. I’m not a usual user of the Metro trains, maybe 20 or so times per year, but it seams that Metro needs do it better. Today I used the Gold line to go to NoHollywod. So many escalators were out of service as were elevators. I’m a youngish person so those outages didn’t effect me. But to those that need them it’s down right wrong to have that many. I was on a purple line headed back to Union Station, was told of a problem so we had to disembark at MacArthur Park. Nothing was told by the attendant how to complete our trip. Just get off and good luck. Metro needs to inform their riders in a better and timelier manner. When Metro works they do it well. When a glitch happens they fold like a house of cards. So much on me giving up my car! I’ll think twice before I use Metro again.

  11. I get on the gold line at Allen to go to work and back daily and have wandered when will something like this will happen. The barriers to me, seem to close to the freeway traffic.
    Close enough to see into drivers cars from the train..

    • Indeed the 210 barriers in Pasadena seem to be too close to the freeway truck and car traffic, but that’s was another one of CalTrans ideas, to forced the old Santa Fe Railway to move its roadbed between the 210 lanes. That roadbed was the origin of the Gold Line roadbed. I recall many times riding the old Super Chief dining car into Pasadena and looking into the cars we passed during the morning commute and toasting the drivers with my breakfast restorative.

  12. Another accident along the 210 Freeway which has a significant impact on those of us who use the Gold Line on a daily basis? This is deja vu all over again! If it’s not rain and windy weather slowing down the Gold Line, it’s one accident after another. And in a few more months, the extension will be open allowing for a greater chance of commuter headache!!. Last time there was a major delay, METRO did nothing to inform those of us who were already stuck riding the Gold Line. The Gold Line just stopped at Lake and everyone had to leave the train without any information from a METRO representative. It was a total lack of organization, all compliments of METRO. At least this time, I heard about the problems before leaving work so I can plan accordingly.

  13. All Pasadena-bound trains will end at Lake Station and turn back to Los Angeles.

  14. Oh, Gold Line…
    Definitely echo the comment above that there needs to be a more substantial barrier. Accidents on the freeway that shut down the Gold Line has already happened multiple times and it’s only a matter of time before something big and fast plows into a train or a station.

    • Jeff, that is correct, you may board trains to Downtown LA from Lake Station, but towards Sierra Madre Villa.

  16. The truck traffic on I-210 thru Pasadena is very dangerous. Two years ago at about the same spot as today’s accident, I was rear-ended not once but twice by the same semi-truck, sending me and my Volvo wagon to the hospital and repair garage respectively. After two years of rehab and surgery I’m still not whole. Now CalTrans wants to steer more truck traffic onto I-210 via its proposed $15 billion + Route 710 toll tunnel…what was that movie called? …”The God’s They Must Be Crazy.”

  17. Metro needs to build some kind of barrier to keep this sort of thing from happening. Imagine if a train was going by, would’ve been worse