What A Train Wreck! Literally --- New Rail Safety Features Malfunction

Brooks Schuelke

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As Austin's Metrorail starts operation next month, many are concerned with the prospects of a new danger for Austin's drivers. A "safety demonstration" last week didn't do anything to ease our fears as the "fail safe" system of gates at crossings did fail and trapped motorists on the tracks. Police officers on the scene had to physically push the gates up to let vehicles move as a test train approached.

While it appears that Capital Metro crews have fixed this glitch, who knows what lies ahead? Houston has consistently had problems with train wrecks, with 34 light rail accidents in 2007 and 53 in 2008. With Cpaital Metro's line sharing traffic lanes for three blocks and having more than 70 crossings along the route, it's only a matter of time before train wrecks start piling up here.

Here's a video from Fox 7 about the problems: