A Metrolink train carrying passengers struck an abandoned vehicle left on the tracks between the Van Nuys and Northridge stations Monday morning, leaving the train damaged beyond operation and forcing both stations to shut down. No injuries were reported in the collision, which occurred near Roscoe Boulevard and Balboa Place.
The crash involved a train on the Ventura Line, according to CBS News Los Angeles, which reported that the Los Angeles Police Department placed the vehicle near Roscoe Boulevard and Balboa Place. Metrolink confirmed the train was damaged and deemed non-operational as a result of the impact, and that the Van Nuys and Northridge stations were both closed afterward.
Despite the severity of the collision, passengers riding the train escaped without injury, the outlet reported. As of 6:30 a.m., there was no word from officials on when repairs to the train would be completed or when either station would reopen to riders. It remains unclear why the vehicle was on the tracks.
A Pattern of Vehicles Ending Up on the Tracks
Monday's crash is far from an isolated case for Metrolink. In August, a Metrolink train struck a car on the tracks near Canyon Country, and the driver escaped, according to a report from SignalsCV. A separate incident in Pacoima saw a Metrolink train collide with an unoccupied vehicle that appeared to have stalled on the tracks at a crossing, sending seven passengers to hospitals with moderate, non-life-threatening injuries, per the same CBS News Los Angeles outlet that first reported Monday's crash.
The phenomenon isn't limited to Southern California. Near Larkspur, Colorado, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said a car appeared to have become stuck on railroad tracks before a train struck it, according to KRDO. As in Monday's Van Nuys crash, no one was inside the vehicle when the train hit it, the sheriff's office said.
What Happens Next
For now, Valley commuters relying on the Van Nuys and Northridge stops are left without clear guidance on when service will return to normal. Metrolink has not released a timeline for either repairing the damaged train or reopening the two stations, leaving riders to seek alternate routes in the meantime.
