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CNN Live At Daybreak

NTSB Searching California Train Crash Site

Aired April 24, 2002 - 06:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Federal investigators are searching for the cause of a crash involving a commuter train and a freight train in southern California. Crews were surveying the damage last night.

Hal Eisner of CNN affiliate KCOP has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAL EISNER, KCOP-TV REPORTER (voice-over): The team from the NTSB worked its way through Metrolink 809 looking for clues, evidence on what went wrong. Part of the investigation will focus on human error, on whether the operator of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train that slammed into the Metrolink head-on ran through red signal lights warning him of the oncoming Metrolink train.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The procedures call for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train to halt, allow the Metrolink train to proceed across the tracks for the diversion so that they would no longer be on the same track, and then the Burlington Northern would have proceeded straight ahead.

EISNER: Right now, Blakey won't speculate on whether that was in fact the cause. First, she says, they have to determine if the light was operating properly. And besides human error, they need to look at whether there were any technical problems. The main question for them, how could such a thing happen, two trains on the same track?

Much like America's air system is monitored by air traffic controllers, track dispatchers oversee train movements in this country. They're operated by the companies that own the tracks, in this case, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. BNSF isn't commenting on what's happened, but according to Metrolink's Sharon Gavin...

SHARON GAVIN, METROLINK SPOKESWOMAN: The system is called a Digicon (ph) system. When the train comes into the system, Digicon assigns it a number and then they can watch the train. They know where the train is going.

EISNER: Meanwhile, the NTSB chief says her agency is on the case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will do everything we can to get to the bottom of what happened and also to make recommendations so that we can improve safety in situations like this for the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That report from Hal Eisner of CNN affiliate KCOP. We'll keep you updated on any new developments there.

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