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Safety Concern at Rosslyn Noted during the Morning of May 31, 2016

We are very concerned to discover on the morning of Tuesday, May 31, 2016 there were multiple reports of multiple arcing insulators outside of the Rosslyn station on the New Carrollton/Largo track just beyond station limits. Initial reports indicate this condition was first reported at about 6:51 AM and again at about 8:15 AM. During the second report at 8:15 AM, three insulators were reported and that they would be good until after rush hour.

We are still reviewing this event (16-0165), however we find that keeping this track in revenue passenger-carrying service with visible signs of arcing completely unacceptable. Service should’ve been immediately suspended for the approximate 20 minutes needed to replace the insulators.

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Rail Transit OPS Group is an independent joint venture focused on monitoring and analyzing operations of rail transit agencies and can be found on Facebook and Twitter

Recommendation 16.A – Address WMATA Red Line Train Movement between Metro Center and Gallery Place

Rail Transit OPS Group is issuing Recommendation 16.A to WMATA to address the bobbing track circuits located on Track 1 between Metro Center and Gallery Place on the Red Line.

Over the past several weeks, it has been noted that trains departing Metro Center towards Gallery Place stop and go as speed readouts drop out, requiring the train operator to come to a complete stop each time this occurs.

We recommend one of the following two solutions:

16.A.1 – Remove Track 1 from revenue service to allow full replacement of all track circuits from B1 003+00 to B1 018+50; single-track from Farragut North to Judiciary Square along with reduced service frequencies of 14 minutes between Dupont Circle and Union Station. Estimated duration: 2 to 3 days.

16.A.2 – Remove all associated ATC speed commands between Metro Center and Gallery Place on Track 1 and allow trains to proceed under absolute block between the two stations one at a time at speeds no greater than 15 mph. Perform track circuit replacement after 8:00 PM until complete, like Recommendation 16.A.1. This recommendation will also result in delays and train backups, however it eliminates the need for stop and go as trains remain at or under 15 mph throughout. Estimated duration: upwards of 1 week.

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Rail Transit OPS Group is an independent joint venture focused on monitoring and analyzing operations of rail transit agencies and can be found on Facebook and Twitter

Rail Transit OPS Group Preliminary Recommended Revision to WMATA SafeTrack Program

Following the directive from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to review the SafeTrack program schedule to focus on a section of the Red Line as well as two sections of the Orange and Silver Lines with one section also including the Blue Line, Rail Transit OPS has independently prepared a recommended service solution to address concerns.

Red Line

Area of Concern: Van Ness UDC to Medical Center

Recommended Solution: Under the current draft of the WMATA SafeTrack program, there was no planned work between Van Ness UDC and Friendship Heights. This area was identified by the FTA as a concern needing to be addressed.

Continuous Single Tracking over a estimated period of 28 days

Off-Peak from 5:00AM-7:00AM; 9:00AM-4:00PM; 7:00PM-12 midnight weekdays and all day on weekends and federal holidays:

Service from Glenmont to Van Ness UDC would operate normally with trains operating every 12 minutes, with additional trains operating from Farragut North to Silver Spring providing 6 minute headway service between these stations.

Service from Shady Grove to Grosvenor will operate every 10 minutes.

Service from Grosvenor to Van Ness UDC will operate every 26 minutes via a eight car shuttle train

Peak from 7:00AM-9:00AM weekdays:

Service from Van Ness UDC to Glenmont would operate every 6 minutes and one way service from Shady Grove to Silver Spring every 6 minutes with every other train terminating at NoMa (for mid-day storage in Brentwood Yard).

Service outbound from Grosvenor to Shady Grove every 12 mins

There will be NO OUTBOUND SERVICE between Van Ness UDC and Grosvenor from 7:00-9:00 AM on weekdays. Shuttle buses will depart Van Ness every 10 mins to service the skipped stations with additional buses departing every 15 mins express to Grosvenor.

Peak from 4:00 – 7:00PM weekdays:

Same service as above EXCEPT:

There will be NO INBOUND SERVICE between Grosvenor and Van Ness UDC – Shuttle buses will depart Grosvenor every 10 minutes with express busses to Van Ness departing every 15 mins.

One way service will operate from from Silver Spring and NoMa to Shady Grove during this time every 6 minutes.

Blue/Orange/Silver Line Work Recommendation

Below are the draft plans for work on the Blue/Orange/Silver lines.

We are recommending a work consolidation option. This will be a even more drastic impact but would reduce the impact to a one time event.

An approximately 18-day shutdown in two areas:

Potomac Av and Stadium-Armory
Arlington Cemetery

Orange and Silver Line trains would operate from Vienna/Wiehle-Reston East to Eastern Market every 6 minutes with combined service headways of 3 minutes from East Falls Church to Eastern Market.

Orange Line Shuttle would operate from New Carrollton to Minnesota Av every 10 minutes at all times

Silver Line Shuttle would operate from Largo Town Center to Benning Road every 10 minutes at all times

Shuttle buses would operate from Minnesota Av/Benning Road/Stadium-Armory/Potomac Av to Eastern Market AND from Largo Town Center to New Carrollton to allow passengers the option to access the MARC Penn Line during the hours of 6:00AM to 8:00PM

Shuttle buses will also operate every 15 minutes from Pentagon to Rosslyn

Blue Line Service would operate every 12 minutes from Franconia-Springfield to Mt. Vernon Sq.

Yellow Line service would operate every 12 minutes from Huntington – Greenbelt
Rail Transit OPS Group is an independent group that monitors rail transit operations, performance, and safety procedures to proactively address potential issues We can be found at railtransitops.org as well as on Facebook and Twitter

Event Review on WMATA White Flint Platform Overrun on May 11, 2016 (16-0144)

Event Summary

Event Location: WMATA White Flint Station on Red Line

Event Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Active Event Timeframe: 1:03 PM EDT

Event Category: Station Overrun & Door Operation outside Station Limits

On Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at about 1:03 PM EDT, inbound WMATA Red Line Train 106 overran the station platform at White Flint station while operating in manual mode of operation resulting in at least one set of train doors being opened outside the platform limits (see Figure 1).

At about 1:03PM, Red Line Train 106, while operated in manual mode, failed to properly stop at White Flint station and proceeded past the station. The train operator contacted the Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) to report the overrun as required under WMATA procedures. The operator reported two doors were off the platform, and the ROCC Controller instructed the train operator to disable the doors in the operating car – Breda car 3227 – and service the station from the remaining cars. However, witnesses and photographs indicate that at least 1 set of doors (doors 5/6) on the second car 3226 opened beyond the platform limits against the safety railing for the catwalk leading from the platform.

Figure 1: Photograph captured at approximately 1:05PM from a passenger in the second car of Train 106 showing doors 5/6 open facing the safety railing beyond the platform limits. (Image: Twitter/Laura M)

This identifies a serious safety lapse; the train operator reported two doors off the platform which would indicate an overrun of approximately forty feet, while the photograph indicates the overrun met or exceeded one hundred feet, or over twice what was reported. Had the correct information been relayed to the ROCC controller, the controller should have instructed the operator not to service White Flint and to continue on to Grosvenor station.

Rail Transit OPS Group is an independent group that monitors rail transit operations, performance, and safety procedures to proactively address potential issues We can be found at railtransitops.org as well as on Facebook and Twitter

Update on Event Incident 16-0143 at WMATA Court House Station

Event Summary

Event Location: WMATA Court House Station on Orange and Silver Lines at Chain Marker K1 197+70

Event Date: Monday, May 9, 2016 and Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Active Incident Timeframe: Monday, May 9, 2016 at 1:09PM EDT thru Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 3:10PM EDT

Event Category: Arcing Event with Traction Power Rail

This is just an update to our originally posted information, as we are still researching the potential root cause for this arcing incident.

Following a visual inspection of the traction power or third rail at Court House yesterday evening Tuesday, May 10, 2016 it appears that the arcing event occurred on the third rail directly versus from an insulator as initially reported. Visual indications that repairs to possible joints in the traction power rail were conducted.