Driver error caused massive CTrain derailment at Tuscany station: Transit

It was an unprecedented Calgary Transit crash, causing injuries and millions in damage, which officials now say was caused by driver error.

On the morning of Sept. 20th, a train didn’t stop at Tuscany station and crashed through a barrier, hurting the operator.

The few passengers on board were not seriously hurt and Calgary Transit Director Doug Morgan said all infrastructure and mechanics were working correctly.

“We can’t come up with a reason why it happened,” Morgan said, adding the driver has not been interviewed since being released from hospital.

He said in her initial interview that she couldn’t remember what happened.

“We’re not sure whether it was the trauma of the crash,” he said. “We’re hoping more information will come forward.”

There hasn’t been a follow-up interview yet so that she can recover fully.

Morgan said the train has controls where if there’s an incident where a driver has a medical emergency, that it can stop.

“We’ll look at every opportunity we have in order to increase the safety of the Ctrain line,” he said. “We do rely on our operators, they are a key part of that safety system and they do an excellent job, this incident is very rare.”

The driver, a woman in her 60s and a veteran operator, is on paid leave and it’s unclear what her future with Calgary Transit will be.

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