Mechanical problems delay FrontRunner trains

A FrontRunner commuter rail train experienced mechanical problems in Davis County, which delayed three trains Friday morning.

It is the third mechanical problem on a FrontRunner train in three days.

A train that departed Ogden at 7:08 a.m. stalled between the Centerville and Woods Cross stations, UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter said.

A second train approached the area and was able to hook up the stalled train and push it to the Woods Cross station. Passengers exited the two trains in Woods Cross and boarded a third train en route to Salt Lake City because it would have taken too much time to disconnect the first and second trains, Carpenter said.

Passengers arrived at the Salt Lake Central Station at 600 West and 300 South at 9:30 a.m., said Carpenter, who also offered an apology to Friday commuters.

"It's one of those mechanical issues that comes up from time to time, and we apologize to our riders," he said. "We have people from the manufacturer who are here who are looking into the problem."

The mechanical problem on Friday morning's train was different from the problems on Wednesday and Thursday, Carpenter said.

On Wednesday, a train had a mechanical problem near Clearfield but was able to coast to the Clearfield station. All passengers boarded the next scheduled train. On Thursday, a southbound train experienced mechanical problems on a bridge between Ogden and Roy. A bus took stranded patrons to the Roy station while UTA fixed the problem.

The engines are remanufactured by Boise-based MotivePower Inc., which has representatives looking at the engines, Carpenter said. The engines are part of the original fleet for FrontRunner, which began operating in April and serves about 8,700 passengers daily.

"It was Murphy's Law, these things happen in threes," Carpenter said.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com