The Republican leaders of the House Transportation Committee endorsed the temporary closure of Washington D.C.’s metrorail Tuesday, saying the “long-standing” safety issues surrounding the public transportation system needed to be addressed, and that commuters would just have to wait for now.
The Washington Area Metro Transit Administration announced Tuesday evening that it was completely shutting down the rail line for a 24-hour period. The unprecedented move will leave the nearly 110,000 commuters that use the rail without their main access to their workplace. The announcement follows an electrical fire in the system Monday that resulted in major delays.
“We support any necessary actions to ensure the safety of Metro riders. These safety issues have been a long-standing concern,” said House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa. “We will closely monitor developments and assess the need for any additional steps, including a potential hearing.”
Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., a committee member whose constituents use the rail system, concurred. “I appreciate that [WMATA] General Manager Paul Wiedefeld’s actions, while drastic, are being taken first and foremost to protect Metrorail riders’ safety,” she said.
Comstock added, though, that WMATA itself needs to be seriously reformed. “[T]his unprecedented action highlights the fundamental cultural change that needs to take place at Metro. Instead of Metro riders being constantly inconvenienced and put in danger, Metro management throughout the entire system needs to be shaken to its core and be rid of its culture of incompetence. New accountability measures must be put in place.”
The Metro system has had some major safety concerns in recent years. In 2009, two trains on the system’s Red Line collided, killing eight people and injuring an estimated 80 others.
Wiedefeld said in a statement Tuesday that an “emergency investigation” of 600 pieces of the system’s electric cable connectors was necessary. He said the risk to the public was “very low” but the potential for further fires nevertheless meant that a closure was required.
“When I say safety is our highest priority, I mean it. That sometimes means making tough, unpopular decisions, and this is one of those times. I fully recognize the hardship this will cause,” Wiedefeld said.
The rail system will close midnight Tuesday and remain closed until 5 a.m. Thursday. All six Metrorail lines and all 91 stations will be closed throughout Wednesday.
