The year 2006 will go down as a sad one for Metrorail, as three employees were lost in on-the-job accidents.
A worker performing routine maintenance on track near the Dupont Circle station was hit by a train and killed by a Red Line train headed to Glenmont on May 14.
Two men, one of whom died immediately and the second a few days later, were inspecting the rails around 9:30 a.m. Nov. 30 near the Eisenhower Avenue station when they were hit from behind by a four-car Yellow Line train that was out of service and on its way to the Alexandria Rail Yard.
The federal National Transportation Safety Board still is investigating this year’s incidents, but Metro has implemented some safety improvements already, such as keeping inspectors off the tracks during peak travel periods.
“We are very concerned about the loss of three lives,” said Gladys Mack, chair of Metro’s board of directors. “We have taken steps to prevent those tragedies in the future, and we are still looking to see what else we can do.”
Metro’s rail operations gained many new features during the year, such as eight-car trains to handle passengers on the Orange Line during rush hours, three new street-level elevators at the Ballston station and an agreement with the District of Columbia to extend the Yellow Line from the Mount Vernon Square station to Fort Totten during off-peak hours.
The year saw much change in Metro’s top staff position. Longtime General Manager Dick White left in February and was replaced on an interim basis by Dan Tangherlini, who left his post as director of the D.C. Department of Transportation. He departed unexpectedly in November to join D.C. Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty’s administration as city administrator. Jack Requa, Metro’s chief operating officer for bus service, replaced Tangherlini in the interim.
In November, Metro’s board of directors hired D.C. native John Catoe, currently the second-in-command of Los Angeles’ transit agency, to be the permanent general manager. He takes over in late January.
“We are very excited about him,” said Dennis Jaffe, chairman of Metro’s Riders Advisory Council. “He seems very open to making the necessary changes to improve Metro and lead Metro into the future.”
