3-7-16 – Location – Fremont, California – Incident – Train Derailment

Amid heavy rains, a Bay Area commuter train en route to Stockton derailed Monday night, injuring 14 people, authorities said.

Fremont_California_Train_Derailment_3_7_16

The Altamont Corridor Express, also known as the ACE train, was traveling between Fremont and Pleasanton shortly after 7:15 p.m. when it struck a tree that had fallen onto the tracks, said Steve Walker, an ACE spokesman.

The first rail car derailed and landed in Alameda Creek, and a second rail car derailed but remained upright, Walker said. Other rail cars and the locomotive remained on the tracks, he said.

Fourteen people were injured in the derailment, according to the Alameda County Fire Department. Of those, four people were in serious condition but did not have life-threatening injuries, and 10 had minor injuries, the Fire Department said.

All of the passengers inside the overturned locomotive were rescued and accounted for, Walker said. A total of 214 people were on-board the train, which departed San Jose about 6:40 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Stockton by 9 p.m.

The two ACE personnel on the train were not among those injured, Walker said.

The Fremont Police Department said Niles Canyon Road in Sunol, near the site of the crash, was closed as several agencies investigated the collision. The railroad tracks are owned by Union Pacific Railroad, which will be closely involved in the investigation into what caused the tree to fall on the tracks.

It’s unclear if the National Transportation Safety Board or the Federal Railroad Administration will be involved in the investigation into the causes of the crash.nt.

As of Monday night, buses were en route to the site of the crash to pick up passengers that were not injured in the crash. Buses are also being sent to ACE stations along the way to Stockton to pick up about 30 other riders who had planned to board the commuter train.

No ACE trains will operate Tuesday because of the train derailment, according to a statement.

One of the Bay Area’s smaller transit lines, the ACE train serves passengers from parts of the Central Valley to the East Bay and Bay Area.

The express service through the Altamont Pass began in 1998 and has been expanded since then.

The transit line runs from Stockton to San Jose, with stops in several cities including Tracy, Livermore and Fremont.

Cities along the route have seen major development over the last three decades, with some considered bedroom communities for the Bay Area.