A day after a Caltrain slammed into a truck, causing a fire and injuring 13 people in San Bruno, federal investigators were at the scene Friday trying to determine the cause of the collision.
A team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board expected the scene near Scott Street, where the train and the mangled wreckage of the on-track equipment remained.
Throughout the day, men in helmets and safety vests scoured the train cars, inspected the engine and took measurements at the point of impact – about one-third of a mile from where the train finally stopped.
Caltrain on Friday was continuing to run a modified schedule following the collision, which injured two agency workers and 11 passengers, Caltrain said. Once the NTSB releases custody of the site, work will begin to remove the train, repair the tracks and restore normal service.
"My understanding is the train is not going to be able to move until that track is repaired, until the investigation is complete," Caltrain spokesman Dan Lieberman said. "It's difficult to know the full extent of that."
Initial reports from Caltrain said at least one person was hurt in the crash, but agency officials later clarified 13 people were injured. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening, they said.
The southbound train struck a vehicle that was part of Caltrain's track electrification work. The agency said that project, which will allow it to convert from diesel-hauled trains to electric ones in the coming years, has been temporarily suspended while safety protocols are reviewed.
Caltrain is running a modified 69-train schedule Friday, with SamTrans bus shuttles taking passengers between the South San Francisco and Millbrae stations. BART is also providing free service for riders transferring at their Millbrae station.
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Passengers should expect delays through the area and can find more details about the modified schedule on the Caltrain website.
Caltrain riders are instructed to follow Caltrain Alerts on Twitter for real-time updates.
There were about 75 passengers on the train at the time of the collision, according to Lieberman.
Fire crews were trying to figure out if other vehicles were struck by the train.
"There's potentially one other vehicle that's involved in the accident," San Bruno Fire Department Chief Ari Delay said. "It's potentially underneath the train between the train and this other vehicle."
Bay City News contributed to this report.
