Downed Line On Train Tracks Leads To Widespread IE Power Outage, More Than A Dozen Schools Close

SAN BERNARDINO, CA — A high-voltage transmission line owned by Southern California Edison fell onto Burlington Northern Santa Fe mainline train tracks in San Bernardino the morning of Aug. 5, temporarily halting train operations in the area and prompting a large power outage that forced school closures.

Jeff Monford, spokesman for Southern California Edison, told abc7 that a locomotive hit equipment around 5 a.m., prompting the outage. However, a spokesperson for Burlington Northern Santa Fe said that was not quite accurate.

"Initial reports suggesting that a train struck the power line, causing the interruption, are inaccurate," according to the BNSF spokesperson. "In fact, a transformer failure caused the line to snap and fall onto the tracks and railyard. One of our trains was in the vicinity at the time and came upon the downed power line.

"Our crew required assistance from the local fire department to safely exit the locomotive," the spokesperson continued. "We are grateful for the swift response of emergency personnel. Train operations were impacted for several hours while crews worked to ensure the area was safe and service could be restored."

Approximately 17,000 SCE customers were without power due to the damage, according to Monford.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District reported that more than a dozen schools were closed due to the outage.

"We want to inform you that due to a widespread power outage impacting your child(ren)’s school site(s), all impacted schools will be closed today, August 5, for the safety and well-being of our students and staff," the district said in a statement that included the list of schools. "We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as Southern California Edison works to restore power. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as soon as more information becomes available."

Parents were asked to pick up students as soon as possible.