TRAIN ACCIDENT: Angels Flight Closes Due to Defective Steel Wheels

June 10, 2011

Los Angeles-- The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has suspended the operations of Angels Flight on Thursday due to safety concerns.

The CPUC conducted a routine inspection on Thursday and found worn-out steel wheels on Angels Flight. The agency ordered the Angels Flight administration to cease operations until repair completion, reports said.

According to reports, the Angels Flight's wheel flange suddenly deteriorated over its 15 months of use. The CPUC officials declared the worn-out steel wheels as unsafe for operations.

The Angels Flight administration said that replacement may take several weeks as the custom steel wheels are not readily available.

The historic railway was operating 16 hours daily, providing 800,000 trips to Bunker Hill commuters. It reopened on March 2011 after a fatal accident that occurred on February 2001.