RAIL

2 March 2024: Los Angeles, California

An estimated 55 people were injured when a bus and a train collided in Los Angeles near the campus of the University of Southern California. Officials said the collision, between a USC campus bus and a Metro E Line train, took place on Exposition Boulevard between Normandie Avenue and Figueroa St, near campus. The Los Angeles Fire Department treated and released at least 37 people on-site, and sent 18 others to hospital. The driver of the bus and a passenger on the bus were the most severely injured, according to the fire department. “That was tragic,” a female passenger said in a news report while sitting in an ambulance. “I got thrown from my chair to the other chair, so my whole left side is sore.” The National Transportation Safety Board said preliminary information indicates an eastbound Norfolk Southern train struck another Norfolk Southern train that had stopped on the same track. Wreckage from the striking train spilled onto an adjacent track and was struck by a westbound Norfolk Southern train, the NTSB said in an email to The Associated Press. Authorities said the collision led to the derailment of an unknown number of cars, but there were no reported injuries or release of hazardous materials. A team “comprised of experts in train operations, signals and train control, mechanical systems, and human performance” was expected to arrive later in the day, the NTSB email said. Nancy Run Fire Company posted pictures showing a number of railroad cars scattered along the riverbank and at least one partially in the water. Local officials told reporters some ropes were used to assist some personnel to reach the roadway from the riverbank after the derailment.