Metro News Release

For immediate release: December 10, 2004

Metro reminds its customers to review new emergency evacuation posters located inside Metrorail cars

In its ongoing effort to promote system safety, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is placing new emergency evacuation instruction maps on its entire fleet of rail cars that provide detailed instructions on how to evacuate a rail car in the event of an on-board emergency. The new evacuation posters, which are located in the center portion of each rail car, provide detailed instructions with schematics of a Metrorail car on how customers should exit a train inside a tunnel, at ground level, or on an elevated tracks. Information is provided on how customers should open the center emergency door, where fire extinguishers and emergency phones are located, and safety reminders for customers not to touch the electrified third rail or the high voltage paddle units attached to the underside of the rail cars. "The new emergency evacuation instructions were designed with enhanced graphics for customers to see how easily and safely they can exit a Metrorail train during an emergency," said Fred Goodine, Assistant General Manager for System Safety and Risk Protection. "We would like to ask our patrons who ride Metrorail to take a few minutes to review the emergency evacuation instructions and familiarize themselves with the procedures. While we hope our patrons never have to utilize these instructions, it is important to plan and prepare in case a situation should occur." The emergency evacuation instructions also include a new Metrorail system map, which lists all 86 Metrorail stations (two of which open on Dec. 18), and the rules and regulations for traveling within the Metrorail system. Metro expects to have all of the new emergency evacuation instruction maps installed on all its rail cars by the end of the month.

News release issued on December 10, 2004.