Update: Friday, 5:25 p.m. -- As of 3:30 p.m., Detroit People Mover service restarted, with the first train now picking up passengers, the city said in a press release.
The press release stated: The second train is expected to enter service shortly, with the third train in approximately one hour. The final train is anticipated to be cleared for launch by early evening.
Update, Friday, 12:52 p.m: The People Mover was still not operating, but Ericka Alexander, a spokesperson for the Detroit Transportation Corporation, said she expected the trains to be up and running sometime in the afternoon.
She said four, two-car trains were still being inspected. She said it was the first safety issue the People Mover has experienced in the past 10 years or so.
The trains were expected to be up and running this morning, but Alexander said authorities decided to hold off and inspect the individual trains.
Update, Friday, 8:20 a.m. : The city announced this morning that the Detroit People Mover, which experienced a derailment Thursday night, which shut down the system, would be up and running Friday.
Fares will be waived Friday, a news release states:
The DTC maintenance division, which includes mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians with over 25 years of experience with the People Mover system, has inspected the guide way track through the night in preparation of the resumption of service. Trains will be released gradually into service, upon clearance of inspections. Arrival times will be slightly affected.
On the evening of January 22, at approximately 10:10 p.m. the rear car of one of the Detroit People Mover (DPM) trains experienced a component failure causing that vehicle to move out of alignment. The train stopped in position at the Times Square Station at which time the rear car derailed.
The automated vehicle controls remained online; all other trains in service were in communication with operators in the Control Center and were directed to their next station. All passengers exited the train, there were no injuries reported.
By 10:30 p.m. all trains and stations were closed in order to secure the system and begin the investigation of the incident. A component dislodged causing the rear car to lean toward the inside of the track. The failure was isolated to the one car only. The vehicle has been removed from service.
From earlier in the morning:
The often-maligned People Mover, long mocked for covering a loop of less than three miles, creates another reason to be skeptical.
A train derailed at Grand River and Times Square and hit a platform Thursday shortly after 10 p.m., reports Ron Savage of Fox 2 and other media The train, which has been in operation since 1987, has been shut down for now.
The accident happens at an unfortunate time, right in the midst of the auto show, a time in which a lot of visitors use the People Mover.
Authorities said about 20 people were aboard and no injuries were reported.
However, Fox 2 reported that two people had gone to Detroit Receiving Hospital to check out minor injuries.
Passenger Brionne Jones, in an email to Fox 2, says: "We really thought the train was going to go over the track and crash to the ground," she said.
She told Fox 2 that she and her brother Raymond Jones, were at Detroit Receiving Hospital getting treatment for minor injuries.
She said Thursday night that Raymond hit his head but is okay and she hit her knee on a pole and was waiting for X-ray results.
John Roach, communication director for Mayor Mike Duggan, told the Detroit News that DDOT buses would be sent to the people mover Friday morning to pick up riders.
Authorities were unclear when the People Mover would be up and running again.
-- Allan Lengel
