Metro News Release

For immediate release: September 6, 2009

Metro corrects and comments on Washington Post story entitled "Metro Scare Under Potomac"

Article revisits 4-year-old incident that was covered by reporters in 2005

The Washington Post’s story, “Metro Scare Under Potomac,” (September 6, 2009) revisited a 2005 incident that was covered at the time.

Metro has issued a line-by-line list of corrections, clarifications and comments to the article.

A track circuit problem occurred between Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn Metrorail stations on June 7, 2005. The incident was investigated, the circuit was fixed and safety recommendations were implemented. A news release was issued in 2005. A more detailed description of the incident is posted on Metro’s Web site under Questions and Answers about the June 22, 2009 collision.

The Tri-State Oversight Committee was made aware of the incident when it happened. Once the safety recommendations were implemented, Metro closed its own investigation.

On June 22, 2009, two Metrorail trains collided. The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet determined the cause of the accident, however NTSB officials are focusing on a module that is located in a train control room near the tracks at Fort Totten Metrorail station. Metro has posted significant information about the incident on a special accident page on its web site.

Metro welcomes additional focus on safety. Metro General Manager John Catoe has recently spoken with federal officials about a need for added regional transit oversight. Mr.Catoe, along with the top transportation offices from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia sent a joint letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on August 26, 2009 stating that they were in favor of additional safety oversight for Metro at the highest regional levels. That letter was posted on Metro’s web site.


Media contact for this news release: Lisa Farbstein at 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.

News release issued at 7:57 am, September 6, 2009.