Metrolink

Re "Death on the rails," Sept. 27 I read your articles with interest and compassion. I am confident that I am not the only reader to inquire about a special report on death on our highways and roads. Are there such things? And how do those numbers compare with these tragic deaths over 15 years that your investigation has uncovered? Are there any errors in the systems set up by our local, state and federal transportation departments? Any possible lack of safety systems that contribute to those deaths?

California officials lack the authority to determine whether Metrolink was partly responsible for the deaths of 11 people in a commuter train crash in 2005, lawyers for the transit service argued Tuesday. Facing skeptical state judges in Los Angeles, Metrolink lawyers argued that federal railroad regulations ban most attempts by California to improve commuter rail safety. Only the federal government can do that, lawyers for Metrolink argued.

Hundreds of commuters were temporarily stranded Monday evening when their Metrolink train struck and killed a pedestrian sitting on the railroad tracks, authorities said. The accident occurred about 6:45 p.m. and involved the train from Fullerton to Union Station. The identity of the man has not been released, and police are investigating the incident as a possible suicide. Authorities closed both the northbound and southbound tracks for nearly two hours. About 100 passengers typically ride the route, and the southbound train from Union Station to Oceanside carries an average of 450 people, according to a Metrolink spokesperson.

A year has come and gone, and Karol Potter is dreading another long, hot summer. A loyal Metrolink rider, she complained last year that the bustling, sun-baked east platform of the Santa Ana train station lacked basic human comforts, such as shade, drinking water and restrooms.

A Compton man willfully caused a deadly commuter train wreck three years ago in an extreme, but apparently successful, attempt to regain the affections of his estranged wife, prosecutors said Monday. "He needed to do something big to get her attention," prosecutor Cathryn Brougham said during opening statements in the trial of Juan Manuel Alvarez, who on Jan. 26, 2005, parked his vehicle over railway tracks and fled minutes before it was hit by an oncoming Metrolink train.

Juan Manuel Alvarez exhibited bizarre and delusional behavior for at least five years before causing a deadly Metrolink crash three years ago, his wife testified Tuesday. Carmelita Alvarez said her husband -- who is on trial for murder -- was extremely possessive of her and often accused her of having affairs, even with her own nephew. He also tried to kill himself three times, she said during two days of testimony that began Monday. "I had to be in the middle of the bed facing him.

Despite a defendant's testimony that he was overcome with remorse for triggering a train wreck that killed 11 people three years ago, prosecutors Wednesday portrayed Juan Manuel Alvarez as a manipulative liar who often carried a weapon and sometimes threatened violence. Peppered by rapid-fire questions from Deputy District Atty. John Monaghan, Alvarez acknowledged that he would carry a knife -- sometimes a machete -- and at one time damaged his brother-in-law's car and paid $1,000 to fix it.

The Orange County Transportation Authority approved a $1.06-billion budget Monday, earmarking funds for improvements to Metrolink and bus service, road repairs and freeway construction, officials said. Roughly $266 million will go for bus service, including a new Bus Rapid Transit system in which buses stop every mile. About 225,000 people ride buses daily in Orange County. Each department was asked to reduce costs 2% to allow the agency to maintain the same level of bus service to compensate for reductions in the sales tax revenue and fare revenue -- both due to the slumping economy, said Joel Zlotnik, an OCTA spokesman.

The region's transportation agencies have hired a consultant to help coordinate and improve rail service. For years, rail advocates have pushed for more service between Los Angeles and San Diego, but coordinating Amtrak, Coaster and Metrolink in addition to two freight carriers has been complex. An assessment by San Francisco-based Wilbur Smith Associates will cost about $349,300 and be completed in 10 months. The assessment is a joint project with the Orange County Transportation Authority acting as project manager.