CLEVELAND — It was tough enough for Cleveland Browns fans that their hometown team lost their Sunday Night Football matchup to the Los Angeles Rams.
RELATED: Cleveland Browns’ Sunday Night Football return draws record audiences in Cleveland, Columbus
For some fans who took the RTA, their pain was multiplied by the fact that they had to wait through long delays to get home on their rapid train.
RTA released a statement on Monday confirming that customers experienced delays of 45 minutes due to a power loss to a train on the Waterfront Line at the West 3rd Street station platform.
According to the below statement that has also been posted on the company's website, the problem started when the train picked up a passenger at one end of the platform, but did not stop at the other end to get the remaining customers. When the train's operator reversed, the train went into a section of track where there is a gap between the power source and the train.
Here is the complete statement:
At approximately 12:15 a.m. on Monday, Sept 23 after the Browns football game, a Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) light rail Waterfront Line train picked up an ADA customer per procedure at the W. 3rd St. station platform. Instead of stopping at the other end of the platform to pick up the remaining passengers, the operator mistakenly drove past the platform. The operator was then instructed by the control center to reverse direction.
While reversing, the train traveled a section of track where there is a gap between the power source and the train. The gap is designed to accommodate taller freight trains which need a higher clearance level when they cross the RTA track there.
A train moving at regular speed would ordinarily coast through that gap and then regain connection with the overhead power. Because the train stopped in that gap, it didn’t have the speed to coast through that section and then reconnect. As a result, the RTA train was unable to make the contact to the power source and lost power.
An attempt was made to troubleshoot the issue by assigning a rescue train, but a power connection could not be made.
Unfortunately, customers experienced a delay on the train for upwards of 45 minutes. With the assistance of Transit Police, customers were escorted back to the W 3rd Street station platform. Passengers were picked up by another train about an hour later.
In reviewing the incident, RTA let its customers down. Our expectation and that of our customers was that they would have the transportation they depended upon to take them from First Energy Stadium to their destination. They waited an unacceptable amount of time in crowded conditions without power to the train.
Despite efforts by staff to communicate to customers waiting on the platform, RTA failed to adequately update onboard passengers. As a result, operators will receive additional training so that they communicate with customers frequently and with real time information. RTA rail operations procedures will be evaluated and adjusted accordingly so that this issue will not be repeated in the future.
RTA sincerely apologizes for its failure in delivering reliable transportation, and in communicating with our customers in a timely, acceptable manner.
According to Reddit, the top trending story on Monday in Cleveland was the angry reaction to the RTA delays. Here's a sample of some of the posts:
From kidfromCLE on Reddit: "RTA’s leadership should be ashamed. It’s 2:37 AM, and according to our train conductor there are STILL Browns fans stuck at the waterfront. We are finally on the train to the suburbs."
Here's what we saw on Twitter: