VTA gives refresher courses following derailment

In the wake of last week's light-rail derailment in San Jose, VTA train drivers have begun taking refresher courses on all operational procedures, including what to do when oncoming trains need to be routed on the same track, a spokeswoman said today.

The spokeswoman, Bernice Alaniz, also revealed today that substance tests for the two employees placed on leave after the incident - a train operator and a traffic director - were negative. The Valley Transportation Authority, which has ruled out mechanical causes for the derailment, has declined to identify the employees.

At issue is exactly what sent the trolley off the tracks Friday night, injuring four people, including the train's operator. The train was attempting to switch to a single-track section near the Virginia station platform, which was temporarily closed for renovation. Meanwhile, VTA Chief Operating Officer Dan Smith has suspended single-tracking in the area - currently the only spot on the system where single-tracking was in place - in favor of a bus bridge.

Citing the ongoing investigation, Alaniz would not speculate on possible discipline for the employees this afternoon. That inquiry, however, could wrap up later this week, Alaniz said. Investigators have extensively interviewed the traffic director and plan to interview the train operator at length on Thursday, she said.

The training, an on-the-tracks refresher regimen that Alaniz said will ultimately include some 100 operators, started

Saturday and will last through the next few weeks. Instructors will review general operational procedures in the field, Alaniz said, with a more concentrated classroom component to follow.

"It was a significant event for the VTA," Alaniz said about Friday's accident. "Anytime you have anything go wrong you want to make sure you're beefing up, adding additional safety measures so that you avoid the potential for anything else to go wrong."