Defects found along Honolulu rail tracks #honolulu

Problematic “defects” were discovered at key points along the track from early wear-and-tear, several months after Honolulu’s Skyline rail transit system opened for service, according to inspection reports and emails from a track safety official who later left the job.

A former consultant and track expert who worked on the project said it’s premature for such damage to appear.

Though the tracks have been repaired, the damage’s emergence points to “long term” track issues that should be addressed to avoid potential maintenance and safety problems in the future, Yifeng Mao, the Department of Transportation Services’ former track compliance officer, told a DTS colleague via email last fall.