2 struck by Metrolink trains, delaying trains

Metrolink trains struck two people Tuesday night at two locations, killing one person, injuring another and delaying commuters during the evening rush hour, authorities said.

Around 7:10 p.m., the Antelope Valley line’s 285 train bound for Palmdale struck and injured a person on the tracks east of the Palmdale Station, said Metrolink spokesman Jeff Lustgarten.

Ten minutes later, the Orange County line’s 608 train en route to Oceanside was stalled after a train struck a person on the tracks near the Orange Station, Lustgarten said. The man, whose name was not released, died at the scene, said Lt. Rich Maradiaga of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The Palmdale tracks were not entirely shut down -- trains were allowed to move at a slower speed through the station, and the 285 train resumed around 7:45 p.m., Lustgarten said.

But the death near the Orange Station closed down lines heading toward Oceanside, including the 642, 644 and 645 trains. At about 8:30 p.m., transit officials allowed the trains to pass through an alternate track, Lustgarten said.

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