VTA issued an alert stating it’s operating two bus bridges: one between Mountain View and Alum Rock stations, and the other between Baypointe and Civic Center stations.
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Police say the man climbed on top the train at 1:20 a.m. Thursday.
Brandi Childress, a spokeswoman for the Valley Transportation Authority, which operates the commuter train, said the man continued not to budge during the morning commute. He was seen, shirtless but wrapped in a yellow blanket, on top the the train for hours, as deputies in a cherry -picker tried to convince him verbally to come down. “It’s an extremely unsafe thing for someone to do to climb up the train because of the electrification”, she said.
Because the light rail cars are housed south of the Component Station, there has been no light rail service north of that station. Lewis had been rambling and spitting at authorities when they first talked to him, but eventually became more “coherent”, Jensen said.
Authorities believe the man, thought to be in his 20s, may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Shortly after 11:30 a.m., Judge Stephen Manley, who is in charge of the mental health court, arrived at the scene, at the request of sheriff’s officials.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office has responded to the scene and is trying to negotiate with the man, who refuses to come down. The incident stopped trains from traveling north of the intersection, a major thoroughfare for the system to provide train service between the Mountain View and Baypointe stations, she said.
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“This activity prevents us from getting trains into service north of Metro station”, train service said in a statement.
