There have been numerous incidents on the Washington Metro over its history, including several collisions causing injuries and fatalities, and numerous derailments. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has been criticized for disregarding safety warnings and advice from experts. [1]
On January 6, 1996, during the Blizzard of 1996, a Metro operator was killed when a train failed to come to a stop at the Shady Grove station. The four-car train overran the station platform and struck an unoccupied train that was awaiting assignment. [2] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found that the crash was a result of a failure in the train's computer-controlled braking system. The NTSB recommended that Metro grant train operators the ability to manually control the braking system, even in inclement weather. Additionally, investigators recommended that Metro prohibit parked rail cars on tracks used by inbound trains. [2] The NTSB also recommended that Metro reinforce the 1000-series cars to help protect them against telescoping in a crash. Metro rejected this recommendation in 2002, saying the modification was impractical and might lead to "higher longitudinal accelerations" and thus greater injuries. The NTSB also advised Metro to install event recorders, similar to airplane black boxes, on all 1000-series cars. [3] This recommendation echoed one made following Metrorail's first fatal accident in 1982, when the NTSB recommended the installation of event recorders in trains, but despite some discussion by WMATA managers, no recorders had been installed by January 1996. [2]
On November 3, 2004, an out-of-service Red Line train rolled backwards into the Woodley Park station and hit an in-service train that was at the platform servicing the station. [4] No one was killed, but 20 people were injured. [5] A 14-month investigation concluded that the train operator was most likely not alert as the train rolled backwards into the station. Safety officials estimated that had the out-of-service train been full, at least 79 would have died. The train operator was dismissed and Metro officials agreed to add rollback protection to more than 300 rail cars. [6]
On June 22, 2009, at 5:02 pm EDT, two trains on the Red Line collided. A southbound train bound for Shady Grove stopped on the track short of the Fort Totten station, and another southbound train collided with the rear of the first train. The lead car of the moving train telescoped into the rear car of the stationary one. Several surviving and deceased passengers were trapped for hours during the rescue operation. Nine people died and more than 70 were injured, dozens of which were described as "walking wounded". [7] The moving train's operator was killed. According to WMATA, trains were not single-tracking in the area when the crash occurred, but the trains were on the same track. [8] [9] Red Line service was suspended between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations, and New Hampshire Avenue was closed. [10] [11]
At 4:27 am on November 29, 2009, a collision occurred between two out-of-service trains at the Falls Church rail yard in Fairfax County, Virginia. According to Metro, three rail cars were believed to be damaged beyond repair. [12] Three Metro employees with minor injuries were taken to a local hospital. [13] The NTSB planned to launch an investigation of the incident. [14]
The train operator, whose name was not released, was fired for "failure to follow standard operating procedures." He had been a WMATA employee since 2007. His train was moving at 18 mph; the speed limit for train yards is 15 mph, and operators are supposed to reduce their speed even further when approaching parked trains. [15]
All twelve rail cars on the trains were damaged in the crash, and two were derailed, causing at least $9 million in damages. [15] Train 902 (the moving train) was made up of cars 5056, 5057, 1171, 1170, 3223 and 3222. The stationary train was made up of cars 5138, 5139, 1107, 1106, 3216 and 3217. [12]
Two out-of-service trains, both consisting of 3000-series rail cars, collided between Foggy Bottom and Farragut West as both trains were being moved to their respective rail yards affecting the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines during the morning rush. [16] [17] Two train operators were injured due to the collision. Train 755 (the stationary train) consisted of cars 3141, 3140, 3121, 3120, 3206 and 3207. Train 700 (the striking train) consisted of cars 3008, 3009, 3010, 3011, 3019 and 3018. Car 3008, the lead car of the striking train, struck car 3207 from the stationary train. Both cars suffered damage as of a result. [18] [19] Cars 3140 and 3120 also suffered broken couplers during the collision. [20] [21] Cars 3008, 3009, 3120, 3121, 3206, and 3207 were damaged beyond repair as a result of the accident. [21]
Metro had a string of three fatal accidents involving track workers in a little over a year. [22] In October 2005, a Metro employee was struck and killed at the Braddock Road station on the Blue and Yellow Lines. [23] In May 2006, another Metro employee died after being hit by a Red Line train at Dupont Circle station. [24] On November 30, 2006, two Metro employees were struck and killed by a Metrorail train while performing routine track maintenance on the Yellow Line near Eisenhower Avenue station. [25] The operator of the train was found to be at fault for not following appropriate emergency braking procedures, and was permanently barred from operating Metro trains or buses. WMATA subsequently limited when track inspections can take place and lowered train speeds to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) when within 600 feet (180 m) of inspectors. [22]
On August 9, 2009, Metro employee Michael Nash [26] was struck and killed by a ballast regulator, a track unit that deposits and spreads track ballast onto the track bed. [27] The incident occurred halfway between the Dunn Loring and Vienna stations on the western end of the Orange Line in Fairfax County. [28]
On September 10, 2009, Metro employee John Moore was struck between the Braddock Road and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stations. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died four days later from his injuries. [29]
On January 26, 2010, two Metro employees Jeff Garrard, 49 and Sung Oh, 68 were found dead when they were hit by a piece of track equipment at the Rockville station. They were installing new train control equipment in the track bed on the outbound track of the Red Line, towards Shady Grove. [30]
On October 6, 2013, two Washington Metro employees were injured and a contractor, Harold Ingram, was killed when they were struck by a 40-foot (12 m) section of rail following a fire and loud noise approximately 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 meters) from the injured workers. The incident occurred shortly after midnight in a work zone on the outbound (Glenmont direction) track approximately 400 feet (120 m) from the Union Station platform towards Judiciary Square. [31]
In 1987, a CSX train derailed near the Takoma station, where the freight trains and Metro tracks run along the same corridor. The CSX train tore through a chain-link fence and onto the Metro tracks. One car penetrated the Metro power substation building adjacent to the tracks, causing significant damage. [61] This accident led NTSB to recommend an intrusion detection warning system along this stretch of tracks. [62]
In 1989, an Orange Line train hit a car that had fallen onto the tracks from an Interstate 66 overpass, though the train operator was able to apply the emergency brakes and slow the train to 5 mph at impact, resulting in no serious injuries for the 40 passengers. [63] [64]
Metro has also experienced a number of incidents in which trains narrowly missed colliding. On June 7, 2005, a train operator in the tunnel beneath the Potomac River, between the Foggy Bottom–GWU and Rosslyn stations, had a signal to proceed but noticed red lights ahead and engaged the emergency brakes. His train missed colliding with the one ahead of it by 35 feet (11 m), and the train behind his missed colliding by 20 feet (6.1 m). [74] Another incident occurred in March 2009, near the Potomac Avenue station, when one train missed colliding with another by 500 feet (150 m) after the Automatic Train Protection system failed. [75]
On January 12, 2015, during early evening rush, a Yellow Line train departing L'Enfant Plaza for Pentagon began to fill with smoke. Everyone on board was evacuated; 84 people were taken to hospitals and one person died. The National Transportation Safety Board released a statement saying "an electrical arcing event" sparked the incident. [76] [77] According to an Associated Press story the next day, the last fatality on the metro system had been on June 22, 2009. The report went on to state that electricity had arced from the third rail to the track, and that the cause was still undetermined. One victim was known to be in critical condition. [78] Questions were raised about the timeliness and adequacy of the emergency response by Metro and rescue personnel. [79]
On December 10, 2019, smoke was reported from an arcing insulator along the Red Line near Tenleytown–AU station, causing service to be suspended between Friendship Heights and Van Ness–UDC stations during the morning rush hour. A train was stuck in the smoke inside the tunnel at Tenleytown. Later in the afternoon rush hour, more smoke was reported from an arcing insulator at Woodley Park station causing service to be suspended between Dupont Circle and Van Ness. Red Line trains were then forced to operate on a single track between Friendship Heights and Van Ness due to another arcing insulator failure. [80] [81] This led to WMATA replacing 36 arcing insulators the next day. [82]
On February 4, 2020, smoke was reported at L'Enfant Plaza when maintenance crew attempted to remove a padlock from an employee locker in a mechanical room at L'Enfant Plaza by using an unauthorized tool. The crew extinguished the fire but operators on trains that were carrying passengers were told to do a track inspection of the vicinity before the smoke can clear out. WMATA took criticism from the smoke incident. [83]
On July 21, 2015, a man at the L'Enfant Plaza station pulled an emergency stop lever after apparently missing his stop. The man was captured on closed circuit television forcing open the doors of the stopped train and running down the platform with a young child in hand. In accordance with Metro procedures, the entire line on which the train had stopped was secured with teams dispatched to review the situation. The action caused extensive delays and led to outrage among Metro passengers. Several days later, Metro Transit Police reported that the man had stopped the train after being separated from a second younger child on the train platform. The man was questioned by police and no charges were filed. [84] [85]
On September 1, 2016, the Rhode Island Avenue station was shut down due to falling debris. After two incidents of concrete chunks and metal falling from the mezzanine ceiling, Metro announced the temporary closure of the station pending emergency investigation. [86]
The Tri-State Oversight Committee formerly oversaw WMATA, but had no regulatory authority. Metro's safety department usually was in charge of investigating incidents, but could not require other Metro agencies to implement its recommendations. [1] In October 2015, following several safety lapses, the Federal Transit Administration assumed oversight of WMATA with the authority to conduct inspections and impose sanctions. [87] The NTSB, which is charged with investigating every civil aviation accident and significant accidents in other modes of transportation, does not have the authority to set or enforce standards. This lack of authority has been scrutinized after NTSB recommended that WMATA take measures to increase crash worthiness of trains after collisions in 1996 and again in 2006. [88] WMATA did not take action on these recommendations, citing tax advantage leases and an eventual replacement around 2014. [89] NTSB, unable to compel action, classified the recommendation as, "Safety Recommendation R-06-2 Closed Unacceptable Action".
The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates the Metrobus service under the Metro name. Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 98 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of route.
The Blue Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 28 stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Blue Line runs from Franconia–Springfield to Downtown Largo. The line shares track with the Orange Line for 13 stations, the Silver Line for 18, and the Yellow Line for 7. Only 3 stations are exclusive to the Blue Line.
The Orange Line is one of the six rapid transit lines of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 26 stations in Fairfax County and Arlington in Northern Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Orange Line runs from Vienna in Virginia to New Carrollton in Maryland. Half of the line's stations are shared with the Blue Line and over two thirds are shared with the Silver Line. Orange Line service began on November 20, 1978.
The Red Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 27 stations in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is a primary line through downtown Washington and the oldest and busiest line in the system. It forms a long, narrow "U," capped by its terminal stations at Shady Grove and Glenmont.
The Yellow Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system that runs between Huntington in Virginia and Mount Vernon Square in Washington, D.C. It consists of 13 stations in Fairfax County, the city of Alexandria, and Arlington County in Virginia, and Washington, D.C. It is the shortest line in the system, and since its truncation to Mount Vernon Square, it is the only line that does not enter Maryland.
Farragut North station is an underground Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., located on the Red Line. The station serves Downtown Washington and is immediately northwest of Farragut Square. With an average of 7,615 daily riders in 2023, Farragut North was the sixth-busiest stop in the system.
Dupont Circle station is an underground rapid transit station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro in Washington, D.C. Located below the traffic circle, it is one of the busiest stations in the Metro system, with an average of 16,948 entries each weekday. The station parallels Connecticut Avenue NW between the southern edge of the circle to the south and Q Street NW to the north.
Shady Grove station is a Washington Metro station in Redland, Maryland, United States. The station opened on December 15, 1984 as part of a four-stop extension of the Red Line from Grosvenor–Strathmore station to Shady Grove. The station is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
Silver Spring station is a train station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro and the Brunswick Line of the MARC Train commuter rail system. The Metro station averaged 4,536 daily riders in 2023, making it the 19th-busiest stop in the network and the busiest in the state of Maryland. Trains travelling south from the station quickly cross the border into Washington, D.C., while northbound trains head underground and make their way further into Montgomery County.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station is a Washington Metro station in Arlington, Virginia on the Blue and Yellow Lines. The station platform is elevated and covered and is the last above-ground station on the Yellow Line in Virginia, heading into Washington, D.C. It is one of only two stations in the system to have three tracks. The station is located across Smith Boulevard from Terminal 2 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; the mezzanine is directly connected to Level 2 of the terminal by two pedestrian bridges. Airport shuttle buses or a walkway connect the station and Terminal 1. The airport's Abingdon Plantation historical site is near the station.
Mount Vernon Square station is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Green and Yellow Lines. It is the northeastern terminus of the Yellow Line.
The rolling stock of the Washington Metro system consists of 1,242 75-foot (22.86 m) cars that were acquired across seven orders. All cars operate as married pairs, with systems shared across the pair. The 7000-series cars, the system's newest, have an operator's cab in only one of each married pair's cars and operate in groups of three or four.
Signaling and operation on the Washington Metro system involves train control, station identification, train signaling, signage, and train length. As with any working railroad, communication between train operators, dispatchers, station personnel and passengers is critical. Failures will result in delays, accidents, and even fatalities. It is therefore important that a comprehensive signal system operated by a central authority be in place. This gives individual train and station operators the information they need to safely and efficiently perform their tasks.
On May 28, 2008, shortly before 6 p.m., two westbound MBTA trains collided on the Green Line D branch between Woodland and Waban stations, behind 56 Dorset Road in Newton, Massachusetts. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) originally found the cause of the accident to be due to the operator texting while driving, but the NTSB later found that the operator of the rear train, Terrese Edmonds, had not been using her cell phone at the time of the crash, but rather went into an episode of micro-sleep, causing her to lose awareness of her surroundings and miss potential hazards up ahead. The collision killed Edmonds, and numerous others were injured. Fourteen passengers were taken to area hospitals; one was airlifted. This crash, along with another similar accident a year later, led the NTSB to set higher standards and regulations regarding the use of cell phones while operating a train.
During the afternoon rush hour of June 22, 2009, a subway train wreck occurred between two southbound Red Line Washington Metro trains in Northeast, Washington, D.C., United States. A moving train collided with a train stopped ahead of it; the train operator along with eight passengers died, and 80 people were injured, making it the deadliest crash in the history of the Washington Metro.
The 1982 Washington Metro train derailment was an incident involving a single Orange Line Washington Metro train during the afternoon rush hour of January 13, 1982, in Downtown Washington, D.C. in the United States. The train derailed as it was being backed up from an improperly closed rail switch between the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations, and caused the deaths of three passengers. Several survivors were trapped for hours, and 25 were injured. The incident was the first resulting in a fatality involving the Metro system and remained as the deadliest incident occurring in the system until the June 22, 2009, collision that resulted in nine fatalities.
On the morning of December 1, 2013, a Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line passenger train derailed near the Spuyten Duyvil station in the New York City borough of the Bronx. Four of the 115 passengers were killed and another 61 injured; the accident caused $9 million worth of damage. It was the deadliest train accident within New York City since a 1991 subway derailment in Manhattan, and the first accident in Metro-North's history to result in passenger fatalities. The additional $60 million in legal claims paid out as of 2020 have also made it the costliest accident in Metro-North's history.
The 1990 Back Bay, Massachusetts train collision was a collision between an Amtrak passenger train, the Night Owl, and a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Stoughton Line commuter train just outside Back Bay station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the Amtrak train entered a speed-restricted curve at excessive speed, causing the train to derail and crash into the MBTA commuter train on an adjacent track. Although no one was killed in the accident, 453 people were injured and Back Bay station was closed for six days. Total damage was estimated at $14 million. The accident led to new speed restrictions and safety improvements in the vicinity of Back Bay and a revamp of Amtrak's locomotive engineer training program.
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