North County Sprinter to Stop Running at Midnight Friday

Brake problems prompted the North County Transit District to announce Friday that it will stop running its Sprinter trains betwene Escondido and Oceanside at midnight.

The service disruption could last between two and four months, according to the agency.

In its place, bus service will run every half-hour this weekend. Alternative bus service for the weekdays is still being arranged, according to the NCTD.

The move comes one day before transit officials had planned to celebrate the five-year anniversary of Sprinter service. A celebration scheduled for Saturday was canceled.

The agency said accelerated wear patterns were discovered on rotors in the central disc braking system for its train cars. The shutdown will allow the NCTD, Bombardier and Veolia to perform repairs.

The weekend buses will run between the Escondido and Oceanside transit centers, and stop at the Vista Transit Center, Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College, according to the NCTD.