The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) temporary safety oversight of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) Metrorail system is seeing initial results across the system, FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers today told the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) must conduct an “after action review” of a May 5 arc flash incident in a train station and review with all operating personnel, supervisors and management procedures related to managing fire and smoke emergencies or risk losing federal funding, under a threat by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
As its investigation of the smoke and electrical arcing accident in a tunnel near the L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station on January 12 continues, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is looking at another smoke and electrical arcing event that occurred in February.
Two technicians who were struck by a hi-rail vehicle died because of inadequate safeguards provided by their employer, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).