More than a month after a Muni N-Judah train lost control and jolted riders during a morning commute, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is blaming the train’s operator.
On Sept. 24, passengers riding east on a packed N-Judah Muni train were shaken up. As the train was exiting the Sunset Tunnel, riders were suddenly jolted to the sides as the train navigated a curve.
The SFMTA said “operator fatigue” was determined to be the cause of the train losing control.
“It felt like a runaway train,” said Sarah Tew, a passenger who detailed the experience in an interview shortly after the event. “It felt faster than anything, it had never gone even close to that fast.”
After blowing through a stop, the train slowed down and came to a halt on Duboce Avenue just past Walter Street. Passengers got off the train as smoke could be seen emanating from the wheels, Tew said.
‘It wouldn’t stop’
Surveillance video from inside the train captured what appeared to be the driver dozing off as it reached a speed of 50 mph. Once the train approached the curve on the tracks, passengers were tossed around and can be heard screaming as the driver brings the train to a stop beyond the Duboce and Noe Street Station.
The shaken driver can be seen in the video trying to calm the passengers. “I’m sorry. Relax, relax, relax. It wouldn’t stop. We didn’t crash, relax. Relax. It wouldn’t stop. Relax. We’re okay, it just wouldn’t stop. … The emergency brake wouldn’t even hit. Look, it’s on. It wouldn’t even stop. I don’t know what happened. I’m gonna go up here and gonna ask them to check the train, okay?”
SFMTA released a statement a few days after the train lost control, saying that an initial review showed the train was “mechanically sound and operating as designed.”
A full inspection of the train and tracks has confirmed that there were no mechanical issues, SFMTA said in a statement Monday.
The driver has been placed on “non-driving status,” and SFMTA is reinforcing training for employees to look out for and report signs of operator fatigue, the agency said.
Additionally, SFMTA is looking into potentially implementing software that would automatically limit train speeds in certain locations.
“We know this was a frightening experience for our riders, and we take that very seriously,” SFMTA Director of Transportation Julie Kirschbaum said in a statement. “We are committed to accountability in response to this specific unacceptable incident and we are taking all necessary steps to keep Muni safe and reliable for all riders and the public.”