A pedestrian died Saturday evening after being struck by a Metrolink train between the Lancaster and Palmdale stations.
About 70 passengers were stranded on the train for more than 90 minutes during the initial phase of the investigation, and travel on the rail line between Lancaster and Union Station in downtown Los Angeles continued to be disrupted. disrupted until late in the evening, said Chris Gutierrez, a Metrolink spokesman.
The accident occurred at 6:22 p.m., approximately 11 minutes after train 1282 was scheduled to depart from Palmdale Station, with an arrival at Union Station scheduled for 8:20 p.m.
The incident did not occur at a railroad crossing, so it occurred in an area where a pedestrian should not have approached the train tracks, said Gutierrez, who could not provide a more precise location immediately.
The train stopped after the collision and first responders were called, but the victim died at the scene.
Passengers were kept on the train while an assessment was made to determine whether the terrain permitted a safe evacuation. The initial decision was to keep them on board, but at 8 p.m. the authorities decided that the passengers could disembark.
Metrolink provided passengers with a $50 rideshare voucher to help them get to their destination.
The train had to stay in place longer.
“Essentially the train is now part of an investigation,” Gutierrez said, “which is why we can’t move it until they finish their investigation.”
In this area, the line is single track, preventing trains from passing in both directions. In the two hours following the fatal collision, four other trains were hit.
Early in the evening, Metrolink was evaluating if and when service could resume on part of the route.
Passengers with tickets on other affected trains are also offered carpooling vouchers.
Metrolink provides service status updates on its website and social media account
Lancaster police are investigating the incident.
