Meet the Tango team, the mainline technicians who fix trains while they’re moving

Check out what’s inside mainline technician Aaron Dofredo’s bag in the above video. 

If train A leaves the station going 50 miles per hour and train B leaves the station five minutes later going 65 miles per hour, how many minutes until train B to catch up to train A? 

We’re not trying to spur flashbacks to math class. The ol’ train joke is actually not a joke at all to BART’s Tango team, who makes sure trains are running as they should be running while they’re running.  

The nickname “Tango” comes from “T” for “technician” in the NATO phonetic alphabet, but officially, the team is called the Revenue Vehicle Trouble Desk (RVTD). 

A Train Operator calls the Operations Control Center to report a vehicle-related issue, such as flickering lights, a communications problem or a hot car (meaning the AC’s not working). From there, the RS&S Central Maintenance Supervisor (call sign Tango-1), identifies the Mainline Technician stationed nearest the affected train and determines the fastest route for them to board and resolve the issue. 

Mainline Technicians are strategically positioned throughout the BART system to ensure rapid response. The team’s mission is to assess problems and identify the necessary corrective actions. This includes determining whether the issue can be fixed while the train stays in-service or if it needs to be taken to a shop, as determined by stringent safety protocols.   

The dispatch call goes something like this: “Tango 22 – On Train 367 departing San Bruno, a patron reports Car 2673 is making an unusual noise while moving. I need you to head south towards Balboa Park Station to meet the train. You have a train at Embarcadero Station to use as your ride to meet Train 367 at Balboa Park.” 

In most instances, the tech is on a train headed to the issue within five minutes of that initial report from the Train Operator. That’s why they keep their equipment at the ready and bags packed. You never know when that call might come in, and you must be ready to jump on that approaching train.  

“There’s no time for overthinking it, and you have to know the system inside and out,” said Mainline Technician Don Coulter. “This job is fast paced and requires on-the-fly problem solving.” 

Michael Hung, the Superintendent of RVTD, echoed his colleague’s sentiments. Before his current position, Hung was a Mainline Technician and Tango-1.  

“When I first started as a Mainline Technician in 2002, my supervisor would say that we’re like firefighters, in the sense that when there is an issue on a train, we’re dispatched immediately to respond and intercept it,” he said. “You have to be ready to respond with a moment’s notice to ensure that you can play your part in helping mitigate any concerns or delays.”  

Often, techs are diagnosing and fixing trains in front of an audience of passengers. 

“I once reset a car’s power supply and when the lights came on, the whole car cheered!” recalled Mainline Technician Nathan Koch, who carries handmade stickers with him to pass out to children he meets on BART. “Our job description entails running in to save the day, and you know you’ve saved the day when the passengers can keep going on their way." 

Vessica Martin, who started as an electrical helper at BART and worked her way up to mainline tech, said she’ll ride as many as 20 trains a shift on the busiest days (the new fleet of train cars experiences significantly fewer issues than the recently retired legacy fleet). Sometimes, Martin won’t see another tech for weeks. That’s because they’re all tangoing around each other in the system every day, all day. It’s a dream job for the lone wolf-type who wants freedom to roam and a workspace on wheels.  

Said Dofredo: “And the best part of the job is the Bay Area is your office." 

If you see a mainline tech on your train, there’s no need to worry. Their goal is to fix issues without having to stop the train or remove it from service, which would spur system delays. Most of the problems techs fix are routine, such as resetting the electrical system on a car so the information screens turn back on. 

Most of the time, you probably won’t even notice these stealthy technicians. 

Said Koch: “The biggest success for a mainline tech is when there’s an issue and we fix it before anyone notices."