A Muni train operator's fatigue led to a harrowing incident where passengers were thrown around inside a train that reached speeds of over 50 mph, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). On September 24, while traveling through the Sunset Tunnel near Duboce Park, the two-car light rail train began to accelerate rapidly as it approached a curve, causing multiple passengers to be knocked into each other and some to fall to the floor.
Riders' panicked reactions were caught on video when the train sped up, with one woman heard pleading, "I wanna get off!" and another exclaiming, "Oh my God!" as reported by the New York Post. The driver, found sleeping at the controls, was visibly jolted awake by the abrupt movements of the train and could be seen rapidly trying to regain control, later urging passengers to "relax" and assuring them, "We didn't crash. Relax."
Further investigation by the SFMTA revealed that the train's brakes and other infrastructure were functioning correctly, eliminating technical faults as a cause for the incident. Instead, they found that "operator fatigue" was to blame, as noted by CBS News San Francisco. In response, the SFMTA has placed the operator on non-driving status as part of their "internal protocols and the relevant contract."
According to CBS News San Francisco, SFMTA Director of Transportation Julie Kirschbaum expressed the agency's stance on the matter, saying, "We know this was a frightening experience for our riders, and we take that very seriously." Kirschbaum also stated, "Safety is always our top priority. 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." Another measure being implemented to improve safety involves collaborating with Siemens, the manufacturer of light rail vehicles, to develop software that is expected to limit train speeds at certain points in the system automatically.
