KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasExclusive Investigation: More Monorail Problems
(Dec. 8) -- A channel 8 Eyewitness News investigation uncovered that another part has fallen off the monorail during the latest testing period. That's one of two problems discovered in the past month.
The good news is that the last thing to fall off was Nov. 28, more than two weeks ago. The bad news is that it fell off a train between the Sahara and Hilton stations. This news comes as Bombardier moves into the final stages of testing before re-opening.
This week the trains are running more frequently on the tracks up and down the east side of the Las Vegas Strip. Six trains at a time are being tested. On Sunday, a seventh train will be added. Clark County Development Services Director Ron Lynn will be the man who signs off on its safety before it can carry passengers. "Once we are comfortable with all seven trains operating, which is the typical revenue status. Then we will allow them to go ahead in the automated mode."
If all goes well in the automated mode then it could be labeled safe for riders and without problems, that would set an opening date for Christmas. However, two weeks ago there were two incidents. On Nov. 28, a bolt connecting an air conditioning unit to a train fell to the ground between the Sahara and Hilton.
Bombardier spokeswoman Kathryn Nickerson said it was two inches long and the weight of a pencil. She adds "... Bombardier completed a full inspection of all the trains h-back units to make sure this does not happen again." Nickerson wants "...not even bubble gum falls off the train."
Lynn says the incident wasn't reported to the county. "We are going to be asking them why they did not report that bolt. I understand that it was very small, minor, and light in nature."
The second problem happened inside the maintenance building. An operator did not perform a visual inspection of a train before testing. It collided with a closed fence scratching the nose of the train. Bombardier says the operator was fired.
Lynn adds that Clark County is holding this monorail to a higher standard than other raised train systems in the nation. That's because this one will operate over millions of tourists each year. In order to get the ride operations certificate from Clark County, the monorail has to complete more than a thousand train cycles while automated. If there is a problem then the inspection process starts over again.
