Union Representing Metro Workers Tells Members To Cooperate With Derailment Investigators

WASHINGTON, DC — The union representing employees of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) asked its members Wednesday to cooperate with the federal investigation into the recent derailment of a Metrorail car in Virginia.

"Please allow the fact finding process to unfold by providing any relevant information to the proper investigators," Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 said, in a statement. "We hope for a thorough report by the NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] that can help inform and guide WMATA, its workforce, and riders."

Metrorail Train 407, which consisted of eight 7000 series cars, derailed between the Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery stations at 4:51 p.m. on Oct. 12. The train was heading southbound on track two toward the Huntington Station with 187 passengers on board. After the derailment, one passenger was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Based on preliminary information from NTSB's investigation, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) issued an order on Sunday for WMATA to pull all 7000 series railcars — 748 in total — out of service, so that they could be inspected.

With nearly 60 percent of its railcars out of service, Metro began offering reduced rail service on all of its lines and encouraged riders use its Metrobus service when possible.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy revealed on Monday that the Train 407 had derailed two previous times on the same day before it derailed in Virginia.

The NTSB also learned that WMATA was aware of a problem with the wheel axle assembly of the 7000 series railcars going out of alignment before last week's derailment. In fact, the transit authority had not reported any of the 52 failures by 7000 series railcars due to alignment issues that had occurred since 2017.

"Though it was massively disruptive, we stand by the call to pull those trains out of service, because it prioritized safety," ATU Local 689 said, in its statement.

In addition, the union is closely involved with the investigation. ATU Local 689's Safety Officer for Maintenance and Construction is member of the NTSB's collaborative group along with WMATA and WMSC. Kawasaki, which manufactured the 7000 series railcars, and railroad wheel set manufacturer ORX are also members.

"As part of this group, we receive daily briefings from investigators, can share relevant information with authorities, and participate in the investigative process," ATU Local 689 said, in its statement. "We aren’t just in contact with the NTSB, but have an active role in ensuring that all future transit workers and riders are safe."

ATU Local 689's statement came the same day Metro CEO and General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld released a letter to employees saying that it was going to take time to inspect all of the 7000 railcars to ensure they can be safely returned to service.

"That means we identify any wheels out of alignment, isolate the cars securely, and have a data-driven plan for more frequent inspections of the fleet, and ultimately, identify the root cause," he said.

Also see ...

60% Of Metro's Fleet Removed From Service Over Safety Concerns

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