March 08--The new San Gabriel Valley extension of the Gold Line resumed regular service early Monday after crews repaired damage caused by a big-rig crash that sent wreckage into the middle of the tracks, Metro officials said.
The repairs were done just in time for the start of the route's first Monday morning commute, said Dave Sotero, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
"It's our first weekday service, and crews have been working very hard to get the trains running because we didn't want to disappoint the public," said Sotero, who said he was encouraged by the line of people purchasing tickets before 5:30 a.m. at the new Arcadia Station.
The predawn crash Sunday morning shut down a section of the Gold Line less than a day after the extension opened. The big-rig driver lost control about 3 a.m. and hit the center median on the 210 Freeway near San Gabriel Boulevard, said Officer Francisco Villalobos of the California Highway Patrol.
The truck ignited and some wreckage from the crash landed on the center divider, where the Gold Line's tracks are located, Villalobos said. The driver suffered minor injuries and was sent to the hospital.
The heat from the fire damaged wires hanging above the tracks as well as insulators on the track, which have been replaced, according to Metro.
The crash occurred in a section of the Gold Line in Pasadena that opened in 2003. However, the rail service was closed between the Allen and Arcadia stations, covering part of an 11.5-mile Gold Line extension that opened Saturday with much fanfare.
Crews worked all day Sunday and throughout the night to repair the overhead wires, finishing their work about 2 a.m. Monday, Sotero said.
"We're back to normal. We're good," he said.
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