Six VTA Orange Line Stations Closed After Overhead Wire Failure

Overview

• Early Tuesday morning an overhead wire near Innovation Way reportedly snapped and became tangled with a train pantograph, forcing VTA to suspend service between Crossman and Middlefield and take six stations out of service.
• The affected stops include Bayshore/NASA, Moffett Park, Lockheed Martin, Borregas, Crossman and Middlefield, which mainly serve riders in Sunnyvale and Mountain View.
• VTA immediately implemented bus bridges to carry passengers between the closed stations and said other parts of the Orange Line and system are running normally.
• The agency estimates repairs will take about 24 to 48 hours but has not provided a detailed public timeline if further faults are found, so restoration could change.
• A pantograph is the device on top of a light-rail vehicle that draws power from the overhead wire, and damage to that wire can halt trains until crews repair the wire and clear any entanglement.