Metrolink officials are investigating the cause of a mechanical failure that led to a train catching fire near the Soledad Canyon station on Monday morning, according to Metrolink officials.
L.A. County Fire Department personnel were called to the 22000 block of Soledad Canyon Road at 10:23 a.m. on Monday for what was initially reported as a train on fire, according to Kaitlyn Aldana, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department. Firefighters arrived at 10:30 a.m., but the fire was already out. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the mechanical failure is currently under investigation, according to Jeannette Flores, assistant director of public affairs for Metrolink. She added the train was evacuated safely of all passengers.
Dory Diaz, an Antelope Valley resident, said she was near the front of the train when she witnessed large amounts of smoke coming from the back end of the train upon arriving at the station. She said she witnessed a large personnel response, which seemed odd since the station typically only has a handful of staff members.
“We just saw people rushing out and I’m like, ‘That looks more than normal,’” Diaz said. “They didn’t tell us until like way later. Half the train was already (emptied out) when they told us, ‘You evacuate, too.’”
According to Metrolink’s service advisories page, AV Line 209 going to Lancaster was held at the Newhall station due to the incident and the delay time is unknown, while AV Line 218 to Los Angeles was delayed by up to 60 minutes.
Passengers who were affected by the incident can visit https://t.co/T6cqUiWVrn to redeem a voucher for Uber, Lyft or other private transportation services for up to $50.
For more information on Metrolink schedules and service delays, visit https://metrolinktrains.com/schedules or check Metrolink’s social media at https://twitter.com/Metrolink.
Signal Staff Writer Katherine Quezada contributed to this report.
