WASHINGTON — Metro's independent safety oversight agency has ordered the transit system to make corrections after an investigation determined some train operators are not certified to operate trains in an emergency.
The order issued by the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) says that for years they have voiced concerns about the safety issue to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
An investigation into the Metro system determined that some train operators are being certified by the transit system even though they have not completed all required tasks included in the safety program. Some of the required tasks address safety issues identified after the deadly 2015 smoke accident near the L'Enfant Plaza Station.
“Further action is required to ensure that Metro follows its operator certification process and to ensure that Metro only uses personnel who have demonstrated their ability to operate trains safely and properly,” the safety commission said.
The investigation conducted by WMSC determined that on Feb. 9 2023 a green line train was improperly moved during an evacuation. Investigators determined that train operator's certification was incomplete and that his actions could have lead to a collision.
"The operator did not understand the instructions and didn't properly do that and therefore ended up moving back on the same track in the direction of another train," Max Smith, a WMSC spokesperson told WUSA9.
Smith says the layers of safety precautions stopped the potential train collision.
WMSC has ordered Metro to:
- Identify within 30 days employees that Metrorail has designated as certified but who have not in fact been properly certified
- Conduct proper certifications of those employees within 90 days
- Develop corrective action plans to ensure that, moving forward, certification is consistently conducted in accordance with its safety requirements
"We have various enforcement authorities. In this specific order we set out that if people are not properly certified after 91 days they cannot operate trains. We will do our verification inspections behind that to check that, but we have various authorities to take action if needed," Smith added.
It is still unclear, how many Metro train operators have not completed the proper certification required.
WMATA acknowledged the recent order in a statement, "Today, we received an Order from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) regarding train operator certification. At last week's Board meeting, we proactively shared the steps we are taking to address these concerns while we continue to work with the WMSC."
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