When TRAX engineers try too hard to keep a schedule...

Crap happens.

Today I witnessed a huge whopper, one that involved a speeding train, even through the construction, and the first time in nine years of operation for TRAX that I've seen a TRAX engineer overshoot the disabled boarding platform. And not just once, but twice.

I've heard of it happening before but considered some stories to be embellished, but never witnessed anything like this personally, here are the details on what I personally witnessed.

I boarded a train that would leave Sandy Civic Center Station at 1123am. All seemed well, and there were no other connection protection issues, so the train left right on time. He got to 9400 South, let a disabled rider using a wheelchair off, then went on to the next station.

I thought he was approaching 90th South, Historic Sandy, a little fast, given the braking he had to do, and he overshot the disabled platform there. Fortunabely this was not a serious issue, no one needed to board or get off on that platform.

He went on from there, and hit the construction zone where the northbound train has to use the southbound track due to bridge work, which by the way is nearing completion as rail has been laid on the reconstructed northbound track bridge. He ran that somewhat faster than I normally experience trains taking that segment during this time, it was almost normal speed for any other train, and he had been running a little fast out of Historic Sandy before that.

No other incidents until later, two disabled riders using wheelchairs got on at the Murray Central Station (IHC Hospital), and all went well.

The next station was where this all hit the fan.

He overshot the platform at Murray North (45th South). But this time was where it all came back to haunt him. The two disabled riders had to get off and at first he didn't realize they needed to get off. One of them said out loud 'Oh s---, we're going to be late!', and the driver seemed a bit perturbed, once he realized he had to get the train backed up all of about five or six feet.

There were other drivers talking over the fence, so they all witnessed this as well.

They got the train backed up, and the two disabled riders got off.

And we left the station. The engineer left with the train. as a much more subdued driver as well. No more speeding by him the rest of the trip.

Got to 13th South (Ballpark), got off. Looked at the clock as he left. 1150am, the schedule said he was due at 1147am under normal circumstances. So the drive to be absolutely perfect got him nowhere, and made a mess out of UTA's public image as an ISO 9001.2000 compliant company.

Goes to show that ISO 9001.2000 is not all its cracked up to be, especially when people try to be absolutely perfect about keeping a posted bus or train schedule. Drives home my point about some of the other recent incidents as well that I've mentioned involving TRAX.

Later on, a University line driver almost left some people ON his train, as there were so many needing to get off at Gallivan Station that the doors closed before they could all get off. This was on an older 'San Jose' car, one that had come from that city's light rail system whne they upgraded a couple years back.