A poorly maintained wheel and problems with a railcar’s balance caused a Metro train to derail Jan. 7 outside the Mount Vernon station and injure 23 people, federal investigators said Tuesday.
Installing a guardrail on curved sections of track, such as the area where the incident occurred, would have kept the train from derailing, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
Though Metro has been gradually installing the guardrails for years, one is not in place near the Mount Vernon station. Unlike highway guardrails, the train version runs along the track and prevents a train car’s wheels from moving side to side.
“There is no question having a guardrail would have prevented this incident,” said NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker.
Metro Deputy General Manager Gerald Francis said the transit system already has put guardrails on 100 sections of curved track and has 83 sections remaining. He expects to have all turns equipped with the extra rail by 2009. He could not answer why a guardrail had not been installed at the curve involved in the January derailment but said he expected one to be installed soon.
The NTSB’s findings faulted Metro management on several fronts, including for lacking a process to inspect the surface of railcar wheels after they are repaired. An inspection of the wheels on the derailed car would have found rough patches on a wheel, which forced the train off the track. Railcar wheels must be ground down occasionally to fix normal wear and tear, and should be smooth before the car goes back into service.
The NTSB also said Metro personnel and several system-funded consultant reports identified problems with an air valve used to balance the 5000 series railcars, including the one that derailed. Metro’s procurement officers, however, ignored those concerns and continued buying the cars.
The valves on the 5000 series cars often do not work, which can cause an unbalanced car to derail. The valve on the derailed car was so damaged that NTSB investigators could not determine for certain whether it led to the derailment, but they said they believe it was a contributing factor.
NTSB recommendations to Metro include improvements to the information flow among departments and to hire an employee whose sole job is to deal with safety issues, such as the wheel inspections.
Several NTSB members complained Metro had not adhered to recommendations made after previous incidents, but Rosenker said he has assurances from the transit system’s leadership that the board’s suggestions would be implemented.
