Problem: On the Red Line Right of Way with Amtrak, for approximately 5,600 feet along Track B1 from the Union Station portal to the elevated structure north of Brentwood Yard, there is no Intrusion Detection Warning (IDW) system at locations where both WMATA and Amtrak share the same corridor and come as close as ~16′ on track centers. As a result, in the event of a derailment of any Amtrak equipment that breaches WMATA property, there would be no advance warning of an intrusion, which could lead to a collision.
WMATA’s IDW system is designed to run along fences where it shares corridors with railroads and highways. In the event of a train derailment or vehicle accident that breaches a monitored fence, a signal is sent to automatically stop all WMATA trains in the vicinity to avoid collisions or other accidents.
Recommendation to WMATA: Install IDW equipment in the affected area as soon as possible. This could be accomplished with several nights of early-out single tracking from NoMa to Rhode Island Avenue stations.
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