It’s been more than a month since the worst crash in Metro’s 33-year history, when one train crashed into another on the Red Line, killing nine and injuring more than 70 people. Metro General Manager John Catoe says the transit system is safe. But riders have questions about the crash and what the accident and continuing investigation mean. Here’s what we know:
What caused the crash?
The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the June 22 crash and why the system’s safety network failed to stop one train before it slammed into another. Investigators have focused on a faulty circuit that is part of a system designed to keep trains from getting too close to each other. The NTSB has found that two pieces of new equipment at both ends of the circuit showed problems as long as 18 months before the crash. Those problems may have prevented the moving train from sensing the stopped one.
How long will the investigation take?
The NTSB could take more than a year to finish. Investigators may hold a public hearing in the next few months that could shed more light on the crash.
Has anyone been fired because of the crash?
As of Monday, no Metro employees had been fired, spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said. The agency reassigned Matthew Matyuf, superintendent of the Automatic Train Control Division, to a “special project.”
Was the train operator at fault?
A lot remains unknown about what Jeanice McMillan saw before the crash and how much time she had to press the emergency brake. It appears she pushed the emergency brake about 425 feet before impact. Investigators are trying to determine how soon she could have seen the stopped train when she rounded the curve. They conducted a sight-line test July 18 and were analyzing the results Monday. Investigators found her cell phone in a backpack, meaning it’s unlikely she was using it.
Why are the train rides so jerky now, and why do trains stop so far up the platform?
Since the crash, Metro has been running all trains in manual mode, instead of automatically. But manual is not as smooth as automatic, so riders feel each press of the brakes. The day after the crash, Metro officials also ordered all trains to pull to the far end of the platform as a safety precaution. The transit system has had problems with operators not pulling eight-car trains all the way into the station, then opening doors inside tunnels.
When will rail service return to normal?
It’s not clear when the NTSB will be finished with its on-scene work, nor is it clear as to when Metro can solve and repair the problems with its circuits. In the meantime, riders should factor in an extra 30 minutes when riding the Red Line.
Metro has started giving more detailed announcements in stations and distributing fliers to Red Line riders. It also created a Web page showing delays caused by faulty circuits.
What do the other track circuit malfunctions around the system mean?
That is not clear. Catoe has said the problems found in circuits around the system have been uncovered because of tougher testing methods. He compared them to a blip on an electrocardiogram machine rather than a major event such as a heart attack. The NTSB has not commented on the significance of those problems.
Is it unsafe to ride in the front or back cars of trains?
Metro has said it has moved all of its 1000 Series rail cars to the middle of its trains because of concern that the more than 30-year-old cars involved in the crash are not crashworthy. However, the transit agency has not provided its oversight group with any evidence that such a move is safer. Metro officials have said rail cars are safe. Some riders say the front and rear cars are now the easiest places to find a seat.
How can you tell which are 1000 Series cars?
Cars have four-digit numbers on the inside door at the rear of the car and on the outsides, Taubenkibel said. Those beginning with a one are 1000 Series models.
When is Metro going to replace its 1000 Series cars?
The transit agency has received bids to build replacement rail cars. But it has money to buy trains only for its Dulles Rail expansion and would need $870 million more to replace all 290 cars of the 1000 Series. Even then, they take at least five years to build.
How much will this cost Metro and its riders?
It won’t be cheap. The transit agency lost train equipment in the crash. It is building a new real-time testing system to look for anomalies in its track circuits, as ordered by federal investigators. It has pledged to replace 290 rail cars the NTSB deemed uncrashworthy, plus make other safety improvements as needed. Also, it is facing a raft of lawsuits from victims and rising insurance costs from the crash. Meanwhile, Metro’s board was already likely to consider fare increases in 2010.
If Metro receives the $150 million pledged from Congress, what will that mean for transit safety?
If the Senate follows the House’s vote, Maryland, the District and Virginia each would contribute $50 million to WMATA, bringing the total to $300 million per year for 10 years. That $3 billion sounds like a lot of money, but the transit system already had more than $11 billion in needs. Catoe has said his first priority is to fund safety measures pinpointed by the crash.
Maria Schmitt contributed to this report.
