Red line train derailment 1-15-18

[JDC]

A Red line train derailed this morning near Farragut North/Metro Center. As of 8:10 AM, passengers had yet to be evacuated. No injuries reported as of yet. https://wtop.com/local/2018/01/metro-de ... gut-north/

[JDC]

Per Train Transit Ops' Twitter account, it was a 7000-series train and 7 of 8 cars came off tracks.

[Sand Box John]

At roughly 0640 EDT a train Glenmont bound Red Line derailed on track A1 between Metro Center and Farragut North.

None of the 60 aboard were reported injured. Passengers were evacuated on foot to Metro Center

Service is suspended between Dupont Circle and Judiciary Square.

At this point based on WMATA ROCC radio traffic, the derailment was caused by a broken rail.

[Sand Box John]

Rail Transit OPS Group is reporting that 7 of the 8 cars have derailed in a 7k consist, 7306-7307-7305-7305-7214-7215-7315-7314

[MCL1981]

#SAFETRACK!
#Back2Good

[STrRedWolf]

Watching this from my convention/vacation across the country. Local news is picking up on it. NBC 4 seems to be the best source so far.

(Edit; looks like another thread is going on here as well over this. Someone ping a mod to merge?)

[Sand Box John]

"STrRedWolf"
(Edit; looks like another thread is going on here as well over this. Someone ping a mod to merge?)

Done.

[YOLO]

I read awhile back that some of the rails between Woodley Park - Metro Center still date back to system opening, is that true? If so the broken rail report isn't too surprising I guess...

[srepetsk]

At this point based on WMATA ROCC radio traffic, the derailment was caused by a broken rail.

While this was noted in the audio at one point, it was partially garbled and no other personnel in TRST or MTPD repeated or used the same language. It's certainly still a possibility, but without additional confirmation I'm not sure we can say this was the definite cause.

[Sand Box John]

"YOLO"
I read awhile back that some of the rails between Woodley Park - Metro Center still date back to system opening, is that true? If so the broken rail report isn't too surprising I guess...

On tangent segments likely yes, however based on reports the location of the derailment was in the curve west of 15th Street.

It is my opinion the rail WMATA has procured after the Bethlehem Steelton buy out is inferior to the rail rolled before buy out. We didn't have these kinds of cracked / broken issues prior to the mid 1990s.

"srepetsk"
While this was noted in the audio at one point, it was partially garbled and no other personnel in TRST or MTPD repeated or used the same language. It's certainly still a possibility, but without additional confirmation I'm not sure we can say this was the definite cause.

I heard it loud and clear on the Internet feed at www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/21606/web. The person on the radio said he was returning to the location of the broken rail.

[YOLO]

Metro confirmed a rail break - first set passed through clean, but 5th/6th/7th car derailed

[MCL1981]

I think it's outrageous that they left the passengers on the train for an hour and half. They're only a short walk to Metro Center, basically in sight. The power is off. There's more firefighters and WMATA personnel on scene than there are passengers. It would be trivial to walk the passengers up to the station. But typical WMATA, lets leave the passengers in the tunnel all day, and claim it's because of safety rather than ineptitude. They probably charged the passengers for the trip too.

[JDC]

GGW has a nice piece covering the story, including the (as usual) communications issues hampering Metro's response. https://ggwash.org/view/66210/derailmen ... agut-north

[Sand Box John]

"JDC"
GGW has a nice piece covering the story, including the (as usual) communications issues hampering Metro's response. https://ggwash.org/view/66210/derailmen ... agut-north

No excuse for having communications issues as one of the picture published in the GGW article shows an Emergency Trip Station right next to the cab of the lead car of the train. The Emergency Trip Station has a phone in it that provides a direct connection to ROCC, the next nearest ones are 200' from the last car in the train and 800' in front of the train.

[MCL1981]

No excuse for having communications issues as one of the picture published in the GGW article shows an Emergency Trip Station right next to the cab of the lead car of the train. The Emergency Trip Station has a phone in it that provides a direct connection to ROCC, the next nearest ones are 200' from the last car in the train and 800' in front of the train.

You're assuming the phone in the trip station works...

None the less, it's all just the usual blabber to gloss over institutional ineptitude.