California Safety Regulators Say Angels Flight Safe to Ride

Rail safety regulators say Angels Flight in downtown Los Angeles is safe to ride.

An official from the California Public Utilities Commission told the City Council on Tuesday that the railway’s operator has taken the appropriate steps to replace the steel wheels that were found to have unsafe deterioration.

The commission ordered the railway to close on June 9 because some of the wheel flanges, which hold the cars on the rails, had been worn down.

Richard Clark said the commission is still trying to determine the root cause of the problem.

Angels Flight Railway Foundation President John Welborne said he’s certain the root cause is wear and tear. He said the railway has adapted more stringent standards to determine how thin a flange gets before it should be replaced.