WMATA in hot water with WMSC again
Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
MWAA
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission issued a statement this week claiming that WMATA "did not follow through on all safety commitments made in April and May 2022."
The report focused on conditions in Station Train Control Rooms (TCRs). TCRs “[contain] equipment [that] is used as part of the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system and ATC subsystems such as Automatic Train Protection (ATP) and Automatic Train Operation (ATO). These subsystems rely on the functionality of the equipment in each TCR. Metrorail procedures require that these rooms and equipment be maintained in a state of good repair and cleanliness to ensure that this vital train control equipment functions as intended.”
According to the report, “WMSC follow up in July and August 2022 demonstrates that Metrorail did not follow through on all safety commitments made in April and May 2022, including not continuing and completing special safety inspections of all TCRs and not beginning similar special inspections of other similar rooms. Metrorail had stated these special safety inspections included safety department personnel and personnel from departments responsible for equipment in each room. Upon the WMSC raising these concerns, Metrorail stated on Aug. 2, that it would schedule and complete these special safety inspections. Metrorail then provided a planned schedule of inspections for the remaining TCRs that commits to resuming these inspections on Aug. 9 and completing the special inspection of all TCRs (and reinspections of some TCRs inspected in April and May) by mid-September.”
This report is the latest in a series of negative oversight reports about WMATA issued by the WMSC. To read the full report, please visit the WMSC website.
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