Driver of Calgary commuter train caused crash, can’t remember what happened

CALGARY – A transit official says human error is to blame for a Calgary commuter train that crashed last month during peak morning rush hour.

The light-rail train failed to stop as it was approaching the end of the line in the city’s northwest and crashed through the end of the track at more than 60 km/h.

Three passengers aboard the train were not hurt but the driver, a woman in her early 60s, was taken to hospital in serious condition

Doug Morgan with Calgary Transit says the train had no mechanical problems and the driver caused the Sept. 20 crash.

But he says the woman can’t remember what happened.

He says there’s no evidence she suffered a medical episode before the crash, since the train’s emergency brakes are supposed to kick in if a driver passes out or has a seizure.

“It can’t coast on its own. It needs to be actively controlled by the operator,” Morgan said Thursday.

He’s not sure if trauma has affected the driver’s memory, he said, but it’s hoped that over time she will remember more about the crash.

(CHQR)