In an scathing new report released this week, federal investigators found that Metro workers were only inspecting the tracks once a month instead of the required twice-weekly inspections and said Metro was aware of tracks needing repairs in the accident area prior to the derailment.
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The derailment occurred because of deteriorating track conditions, Metro said.
The FTA, which assumed oversight of Washington’s transit authority last fall, began its investigation this spring amid concerns about a train derailment past year and a tunnel fire in March that led to a daylong shutdown of the entire system for emergency inspections. As a result, SafeTrack Surge #7, now underway, includes a complete shutdown this weekend between Grosvernor and Shady Grove so that the interlocking at Twinbrook can be repaired.
The FTA, charged with providing safety oversight of Metro’s rail system, called for 12 corrective actions the transit agency must take to overhaul its track maintenance program, such as hiring more track inspectors and revamping the training program for fix workers.
“We have a roof, and we’ve had problems with the roof, and now that we started peeling it away, we’re finding more and more problems”, Wiedefeld said.
Other weekend closures – which would replace single-tracking – could come during the eight remaining SafeTrack surges, which are scheduled through March 2017.
“Safety trumps service, now more than ever at Metro”.
“FTA’s comprehensive investigation into WMATA’s track inspection and maintenance program has revealed significant safety concerns”, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “It is a daunting task and so we are taking it one step at a time”.
Wiedefeld also said that a specialized vehicle capable of catching the “wide gauge” problem that caused the July 29 derailment was out of service because it was undergoing routine maintenance, not because it was broken.
The Federal Transit Administration has just slammed Metro in a new report following recent safety issues in the system, including a derailment near the East Falls Church station that injured one person and shut down the station for days.
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Metro said it is bringing in contractors that specialize on different sections of safety. “I don’t want anyone to have the impression that everything will be hunky dory”.
