NEW: Metro confirms safety lapses at two more incidents
Third rail safety device not used during December evacuation and control center gave inaccurate info to 911 after worker hurt in February
3 weeks ago
Metro tells STATter911 its investigations identified safety lapses during two separate rail emergencies near the Fort Totten Metro Station. In one case, Metro workers did not use a warning device to confirm third rail power remained off during the evacuation of two stranded trains. In another, Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) failed to give accurate information to DC 911 after a worker was hurt inside a tunnel. This adds to a long list of safety concerns identified by both Metro and the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission over the last 16 months.
DC 911 says first call about rail emergency came from a passenger & not Metro
New timeline further highlights serious communications failures after train stalled outside Rhode Island Avenue station
5 hours ago
A passenger on a stranded subway train was the first to alert DC 911 to the emergency, further highlighting a serious communications breakdown at Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC). The new information from DC’s Office of Unified Communications (OUC) comes two days after the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission’s (WMSC) CEO admonished Metro for its poor communications with police, fire and EMS during the March 26 incident. An OUC timeline and radio traffic recorded by OpenMHz.com illustrate continuing problems at both ROCC and OUC in promptly and accurately dispatching DC Fire & EMS to rail emergencies.
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission says Washington Metro is putting its workers in danger.
DC Metro
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission is calling out the Washington Metro once again.
This time it involves Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) and the safety of track workers during a power shut-off. The rule was changed last fall due to earlier violations, and deals with how ROCC staff are supposed to restore power to tracks when it has been turned off due to track work, emergencies, etc.
There are two ways to turn off power to the tracks. During red tag outages, breakers are physically removed from their housings to prevent circuits from being completed and stopping the flow of electricity. This way personnel can be positive that power to the section of track cannot be restored because there is no way for the circuit to be completed.
January 26, 2021 at 9:45am
A new audit from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission has found a dozen items that Metro needs to correct as soon as possible and before the opening of Silver Line Phase 2.
Many of the items are related to the lack of guidance and training for employees on a new structural inspection manual. Additionally, the audit also says Metrorail does not review contracted inspectors’ credentials or qualifications thoroughly enough.
In all, how Metro currently handles structural inspections creates “the risk that safety issues could be misidentified or slip through the cracks.”
Another issue is that Metrorail has yet to provide load ratings for its elevated structures, meaning it’s unclear the size and weight limit of trains and equipment that can safely traverse a bridge or station. This creates a risk that the structures “could be inadvertently overloaded,” according to the audit.
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Libby Solomon is a writer and editor for GGWash. She was previously a reporter for the Baltimore Sun covering the Baltimore suburbs and a writer for Johns Hopkins University’s Centers for Civic Impact. A Baltimore resident, Libby enjoys running and painting in her spare time. Share