Metro has had another problem with a friction ring breaking off a train, the same issue that caused major problems in December and January when they fell from trains.
The transit agency said Wednesday that track inspectors found the brake part that resembles a brake disc alongside the Red Line tracks Tuesday afternoon near the Rhode Island station.
The friction ring was intact, according to Metro, but the bolts that attach it to the railcar had broken off. It was not immediately clear how long it had been there.
The rail car, a 3000 series model, that it fell from has been removed from service, Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said. He said they believe the equipment fell off the train Tuesday.
The agency had similar problems on Dec. 20, when one friction ring broke off a 5000 series train during the morning commute, damaging two subsequent trains and trapping about 300 riders underground for more than two hours.
Then, another friction ring broke off a different model car, a Breda 2000 series, in Jan. 6. The incident didn’t cause the same level of damage or rider hassles, but it suggested the possibility of a broader problem.
Metro later admitted that had known since 2006 about the problems with the brake equipment in the 5000 series and even had a plan to replace it. But the agency failed to swap out the equipment because of a lack of funding. And then the agency kept the rail cars running even though the 10- to 12-year life span of the equipment had expired, running on what one board member called “borrowed time.”
But Stessel said this situation was different because the friction ring itself did not show a “fatigue break.” The agency said Wednesday it is continuing to investigate and continues to perform “stepped-up” daily inspections of rail equipment.
