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

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 tangoingaround 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."