Metro Will Get $2M After 2 Federal Employees Nearly Run Over

U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) announced Tuesday that the Federal Transit Administration has awarded WMATA nearly $2 million to improve track safety and protect employees who maintain the Metro system after a scare in October where two federal workers were nearly hit by a Metro train.

A total of $1,884,992 will go to a Metro program to outfit track workers with technology bands that alert them when there is an incoming train, giving them extra time to get to safety, according to a statement from both senators.

The announcement stems from an incident in October when two federal track inspectors were nearly struck by a Metro train near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport while they were working on the tracks. The train's operator apparently had misunderstood a radio announcement about where the crew was located, the statement notes.

“Improving safety on Metro will require a sustained focus from transit, local, and federal officials,” Kaine and Warner said in the joint statement. “First and foremost, that means establishing a culture of safety across the system, and, where possible, deploying leading-edge technology to bring the decades-old system into the 21st century. Today’s grant announcement is a relatively small step, but one that represents a continued investment and commitment to addressing Metro’s safety issues.”

Image via WMATA