Miami airport Skytrain still closed after derailment

The Skytrain people mover over Miami International Airport’s north terminal is up and running again, but there’s no word on when passengers will be allowed back on board.

Engineers began running the passenger train on the elevated loop around the 60-gate Concourse D Tuesday night, less than 24 hours after it ran off the track, injuring the one technician on board. Two of the four cars involved in the incident were damaged, including one that crashed to the roof of the concourse.

The roof sustained no structural damage, and engineers have determined the track to be safe, Miami-Dade Aviation spokeswoman Suzy Trutie said on Thursday. But there’s no word yet on what caused the derailment, and Trutie said the train will continue to run without passengers until engineers determine the cars, too, are safe.

“We're continuing to test the trains, and once it's deemed safe for operation we're going to resume service,” Trutie said. “Our priority is the safety of all the passengers and customers who use the train.”

Up to 40,000 people a day use the Skytrain, and the airport is currently experiencing one of the busiest periods of the year. Trutie said estimates place traffic at the airport during the holiday season from Dec. 21 to Jan 6 at about 2.3 million passengers. But she said trams in the concourse are available for those who struggle to walk long distances.

This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Miami airport Skytrain still closed after derailment."