Observer photo by Caine O’Rear
The National Transportation Safety Board heard testimony Tuesday from several engineers regarding the derailing of a train on the green line in January. Chairman Mark V. Rosenker (center) said the crash resulted from several factors, including management and wheel manufacturing.

A new report raises issues about the safety of the Washington Metro. But how do American University students feel about riding the rails? American Observer reporter Caine O’Rear hits the quad to find out.

by LISA TANGER

National Transportation Safety Board investigators blame train design deficiencies and inadequate maintenance for the January derailment of a Metrorail train in Washington. The NTSB released a draft report Tuesday recommending that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority implement a stronger quality assurance program to prevent future derailments.

The Green Line train derailed as it crossed the tracks near the Mt. Vernon station on Jan. 7, when 23 of the nearly 80 passengers were taken to local hospitals and treated for minor scrapes and bumps. It was the fifth derailment in Metrorail’s history.

Investigator David Watson testified that three aggravating factors caused the January derailment: a “less than adequate” design in the 5000-series train car, a “less than adequate” maintenance and quality assurance process, as well as management breakdown.

Metro operates five types of train cars within its fleet. Spanish manufacturer CAF produces the 5000-series cars. The leveling system in those cars has been widely documented as deficient. Ninety-eight percent of the cars failed in a leveling test applied during an American Public Transportation Association technical review. This failure represents a problem in the balance of a train. Although the previous four derailments were not similar to the accident under investigation, the NTSB did note they all involved 5000-series train cars.

According to the investigation, train 504 had received maintenance two days prior to the derailment. Of the different types of train cars, only the 5000-series is sent to a facility that uses a milling process to make repairs. This milling process leaves train wheels with a “fish-scale” appearance. While other transit companies around the country require the wheel be polished before sending the train back into use, WMATA does not.

Investigators also concluded there is a “silo” mentality within the Metro authority–pitting the quality assurance group against the procurement group. The investigation found a quality officer notified procurement staff in writing of the problems with this series of cars, but he was told procurement would continue. The NTSB report concluded there was no process in place to resolve the technical debate.

Observer photo by Heather Farrell

Metro has taken delivery of 100 new 6000-series cars since the January derailment.

John B. Catoe Jr. has been the General Manager of WMATA for less than 10 months. He launched a safety improvement program this year with self-described goals of changing organizational culture, increasing accountability and reducing rail accidents by 50 percent.

“I want to assure our customers that Metrorail is one of the safest rail systems in the country. But that’s not good enough. We will become the safest rail system in the country,” Catoe said in a press release.

Metro has taken delivery of 100 new 6000-series cars since the January derailment–all of which have the same leveling problem as the cars in question.

The Metrorail system is the second-largest passenger rail system in the United States with ridership totaling nearly 208 million trips during fiscal year 2007, according to WMATA figures.