Rail concerns for Austin and L.A.

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A subsidiary of the same contractor for Capital Metro's rail operator is on the verge of losing a major contract in Los Angeles.

L.A.'s Metrolink board members have grown increasingly concerned with Connex's safety record after a deadly train collision that killed 25 people and caused $10.25 million in damages in September 2008.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found the Connex Train conductor was sending text messages at the time of the crash and did not see a Union Pacific Train ahead of him.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that Metrolink's board is leaning toward hiring its own conductors instead of Connex. Connex is a subsidiary of Veolia Transportation, the same company that operates Capital Metro's MetroRail line. The 32-mile line will eventually run from Leander to Downtown Austin.

Friday, a MetroLink spokeswoman said Connex has decided not to renew with Metrolink.  Goldman said the board is considering either hiring its own train conductors and safety officials, or re-bidding the contract.

In March, The Federal Railroad Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation notified Capital Metro of 22 recommended violations against Veolia Transportation.  The FRA noted 22 violations in its March 11 and March 17 inspections.

Since then, Veolia's new Director of Safety, Training and Regulatory compliance said all but three recommended violations for paperwork have been rescinded.

Many of the violations stem from two incidents that occurred on Feb. 18 and 19, when two Capital Metro trains failed to get clearance to turn around on the track near Leander.

FRA Inspector Randy Caldwell recommended 18 additional violations surrounding the incidents. Caldwell noted that CapMetro failed to administer drug and alcohol tests to the train operators after the violations and failed to revoke the certificates of the train conductors' supervisors.

Capital Metro Chief Executive Officer Fred Gilliam called for the immediate firing of Veolia's safety director. Since March, Veolia's hired Jamieson, and Capital Metro and Veolia officials have both said they are working well together to get trains running in Austin.

""I think the September event [in LA] reaffirms our decision to bring in a new safety director for Veolia," said Capital Metro Chief of Staff Andrea Lofye. "We believe Veolia has made a lot of progress."

Still, there is no set start date for the rail line.

"I have four weeks left of training the engineers," said Jamieson. "When it's safe and we can assure ourselves and the citizens of Austin that it's safe and reliable, then we'll go live."