ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opened the public docket Tuesday for its ongoing investigation into the 2021 derailment of a Washington Metropolitan Area (WMATA) train in Arlington, Virginia.
The derailment happened on Oct. 21, 2021, when a wheelset on railcar 7200 derailed while traveling southbound on Metro's Blue Line. Of the 187 passengers onboard, one passenger was hurt. No other injuries were reported.
According to documents within the 1,400 page report released Tuesday, the Metro train had actually derailed and then re-railed itself twice before the actual derailment. Over the course of an hour and 20 minutes, the Blue Line train derailed and re-railed here between Arlington Cemetery and Rosslyn stations. Then again, outside Largo Town Center station. It then derailed irreparably just after leaving Rosslyn on the way to Arlington Cemetery.
The train derailed and still went for about a third of a mile before stopping, the documents show. The operator said he didn't know what happened. He got on the radio and said he thought a brake had gotten stuck.
The full report features interview transcripts, pictures and other investigative materials, but the NTSB says this report is not the final report and does not include a probable cause.
The report does point to one of the probable culprits for the derailment. The wheels had moved two inches apart on the train car's axle.
Now, WMATA says the process to repair and replace the wheels on the 7000 series cars could take years, and millions of dollars. The NTSB estimates it could cost about $55 million to get all the affected cars back on the tracks, and it could take up to 36 months.
Some 7000 series cars are back in service, but they are being inspected every seven days. Metro says the inspection schedule will continue until wheels are re-assembled at the new higher standard.
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