WMATA/Metro / KRC
Metro and KRC on Feb. 5 reported their “resolution of several ongoing contract disputes regarding, among other things, the [October] 2021 Blue Line derailment of a 7000-series railcar [No. 7200] that led to the entire 7000-series fleet [of 748 cars] being grounded.” A multi-party investigation, led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and that included Metro and KRC, found that wheel migration in the 7000-series railcars contributed to the derailment.
Metro operates a 128-mile, 98-station rapid transit system that includes six lines, plus 125 bus routes throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Yonkers, N.Y.-based KRC is a U.S. subsidiary of Kawasaki Rail Car Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a Japanese company that is part of the Kawasaki Group led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.
“Following the 2021 derailment, and with support from Metro and KRC, the NTSB investigated the root cause,” Metro and KRC said. “The NTSB investigation did not assign responsibility for the cause of wheel migration, and Metro and KRC both deny responsibility or contractual liability for the wheel migration and other technical issues that are now resolved as part of a global contract resolution. The agreement reflects a mutual desire to resolve these issues without litigation, while maintaining a strong and successful partnership for the 7000-series program.”
Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke “thanked KRC leadership for their support during Metro’s return to service efforts,” according to the transit agency.
“Their technical expertise and ongoing support have been invaluable,” Clarke said. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with them to ensure our customers receive safe, frequent, and reliable service. We are happy to put this chapter behind us which will free up valuable resources for Metro to use for other capital and service projects.”
“As part of the global settlement to resolve wheel migration and other matters unrelated to the 2021 derailment, the parties agreed to reduce Metro’s remaining contractual payment obligations by up to $35 million, which will offset Metro’s costs to implement technical changes to the 7000-series railcars, address wheel migration mitigation and other unrelated efforts, and allow Metro to reallocate funding to other projects,” Metro and KRC reported. “In recognition of KRC’s strong contribution to the design, manufacture, and delivery of the 7000-series railcars, Metro also agreed to release contractual payments to KRC for successfully achieving reliability and maintainability testing benchmarks and to reduce the amount of KRC’s required performance bond.”
Clarke said: “We believe our commitment demonstrates our confidence in KRC as a partner to deliver vehicle reliability throughout the lifecycle of our 7000-series fleet.”
According to Metro, KRC President and Chief Operating Officer Yusuke Hirose “also praised the deal as a sign of the company’s longstanding support for Metro’s 7000-series program.”
Hirose said: “The state-of-the-art 7000-series railcar has been in service with Metro for over a decade demonstrating a high-level of reliability and safe operation that are essential for Metro to serve the riding public. KRC looks forward to continuing to provide Metro with the engineering expertise and technical support it needs to maximize the operational life of each 7000-series railcar.”
2026 marks 15 years since Metro awarded the contract to KRC to design, produce and deliver the 7000-series railcars. KRC has since delivered all 748 railcars.
“Based on the recommendations of engineering experts involved in the NTSB review, Metro developed a plan to press wheels on the 7000-Series fleet in-house at a higher standard,” Metro reported. “Metro and KRC disputed, among other issues, whether the original standard had been a design specification or was developed in response to a performance specification. The remediation effort has been under way at Metro since 2023 and is expected to be completed in second quarter 2026.”
Further Reading:
- WMSC Audits WMATA’s Railcar Program
- NTSB Releases WMATA 2021 Derailment Report
- WMATA Addressing ‘Pressing’ Problem
- Jurisdictional Jumble
- ‘WMATA is Treading Carefully’
- NTSB Issues Wheelset Safety Alert, Preliminary Report on WMATA Derailment
- WMATA taps Kawasaki for more 7000 series cars
NCDOT
The NCDOT’s Rail Division on Feb. 4 released a new study on restoring passenger rail service between Salisbury and Ashville that would reconnect the western mountain region to North Carolina’s existing intercity passenger rail network, NC By Train operated by Amtrak (see map, top); service was discontinued in 1975. The Western North Carolina Rail Corridor Economic Impact Report “shows how the corridor would create a critical connection between the Charlotte metropolitan area, the Piedmont Triad, the Research Triangle, and the Blue Ridge region,” according to NCDOT. “This would improve access for visitors, workers, and residents while supporting long-term economic growth.”
According to NCDOT, restoring service “responds to strong public demand as Asheville is the most requested destination not currently served by NC By Train.”
While the project is not currently funded, NCDOT said that over the course of its implementation, the corridor is estimated to generate an economic impact of 5,270 jobs per year, $360.5 million in employee earnings, $1.05 billion in economic output, and $33.6 million in state and local tax revenue.
Beyond construction, the report projects “lasting benefits for western North Carolina that extend statewide,” according to NCDOT. Service and operations on the route are estimated to support 200 sustained jobs, $23.4 million in annual employee earnings, $66.9 million in annual economic output, and $2.1 million in recurring state and local tax revenue.
Further Reading:
PennDOT
The Scranton to New York Penn Station (NYP) Passenger Rail Corridor project continues to progress after receiving federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments, PennDOT reported Feb. 5.
The proposed project would re-establish intercity passenger rail service between Scranton, Pa., and New York Penn Station via New Jersey. “This restoration of passenger rail service has been a priority for local communities for decades,” reported PennDOT, which noted that it has also been the subject of numerous studies, including the 2021 Amtrak Connects US Corridor Vision Plan, and long-range transportation plans that show “growing demand” for intercity passenger rail service along a corridor that has heavy auto traffic and unpredictable travel times for commuters and other travelers. “The 140-mile corridor consists of 60 miles in Pennsylvania owned by the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority (PNRRA) and 80 miles in New Jersey, primarily owned and operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) with a 20-mile section corridor of missing track owned by New Jersey DOT … The proposed corridor would connect Scranton, Pa., and New York, N.Y., with intermediate stops at Stroudsburg and Mt. Pocono, Pa., and Blairstown, Dover, Montclair, Morristown, and Newark, N.J. The proposed corridor would provide new service (three daily round trips) on mostly existing alignment, plus abandoned track to be rebuilt.”
The project was selected in 2024 to be part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Corridor ID program, which aims to develop formal planning studies and perform preliminary engineering for new intercity passenger rail corridors, as well as enhancements to existing passenger corridors nationwide.
With PennDOT as the lead agency and Amtrak as the proposed operator, the owners of the route—PNRRA, New Jersey DOT, NJT, and Amtrak—are all project partners in working to restore passenger service to the Scranton to New York Penn Station (NYP) Passenger Rail Corridor.
The FRA in 2025 approved PennDOT’s Service Development Plan (SDP) scope. Now PennDOT is developing the SDP, which includes:
- Stakeholder engagement with railroads, agencies, and the public.
- Service options analysis and transportation planning.
- Capital project identification, conceptualization, and cost estimating.
- Environmental analysis.
- Financial and implementation planning.
PennDOT on Feb. 19 will host an online public engagement meeting to present an overview of the Scranton to New York rail initiative, a summary of the route options, and locations for potential stations. Public comments can be provided during the meeting or through the project website.
According to PennDOT, the SDP scope’s $118,000 investment was fully funded by the Corridor ID program, and the development of the SDP—estimated at $5.46 million—will be 90% federally funded with PennDOT matching 10%.
After the SDP is completed and federally approved, the projects identified in the SDP will advance to preliminary engineering and environmental review in coordination with the FRA, according to PennDOT.
“Under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership, PennDOT is aggressively putting additional federal and state transportation investments to work for Pennsylvanians, whether it’s fixing our roads and bridges or restoring and improving passenger rail service,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “Advancing this project ensures we will leave no stone unturned as we grow the northeastern region’s economy and mobility. We are steadfast in our commitment to the public, business leaders, and many more who look forward to restoring this passenger rail connection.”
“Amtrak looks forward to supporting PennDOT and PNRRA as they advance the proposed Scranton to New York City route through the federal planning process,” Amtrak Vice President of Network Development Nicole Bucich said. “This is an important next step to better understand the costs and benefits of this new service and to serve new communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We are excited about the future of this, and other, new routes across America!”
“I commend the experience, financial support, and leadership of PennDOT in advancing this vital Amtrak Corridor after many years of acquiring and developing this crucial Transportation and Economic Development Corridor,” PNRRA President Larry Malski said.
The route from Scranton to New York City last served passenger trains in 1970 as part of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. According to PennDOT, the entire right-of-way is still intact, with the majority in active use by various public rail operators:
- Starting in Scranton, the 60-mile segment of the route in Pennsylvania and across the Delaware River is owned by PNRRA and currently used for freight rail service and Steamtown excursion trains between Scranton and Slateford. One mile of track south of Slateford Junction was previously removed and will need to be reconstructed.
- The Lackawanna Cutoff, a segment of the route between Slateford, Pa., and Port Morris, N.J., carried its last freight train in 1979 as part of the Conrail network and subsequently had its track removed. The portion of this segment in New Jersey is owned by the New Jersey DOT. NJT is actively reconstructing about seven miles of track at the east end to extend its commuter service from Port Morris to Andover, N.J. The other 20 miles from the Delaware River to Andover will need to be restored.
- From Port Morris, the route will run over existing NJT commuter lines to Kearny, N.J.
- At Kearny, the route connects to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor for the last eight miles into New York Penn Station.
