The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) recently performed an audit of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail’s control center and operations through in-depth interviews, site visits, and document and data reviews conducted in October and November of 2024, with additional follow-up and document reviews through March 2025.
The scope of the audit (download below), which was released on Aug. 27 and based on WMATA’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP), effective Dec. 31, 2023, included the assessment of Metrorail operations both on the mainline and in rail yards, as well as station managers and station operations, and the control center operations. This includes personnel such as interlocking operators, rail vehicle operators (train operators), station managers, rail supervisors, and other associated management, as well as training personnel, and quality assurance personnel.
To meet the audit objectives, the WMSC reviewed operational practices, procedures, equipment, modifications, and associated training in relation to rules, procedures, regulations, and best practices. The WMSC also verified the forgoing against Metrorail’s safety plans governing policy and procedure development, implementation and compliance, management structure, planning and governance, and associated training for the control center and rail operations generally.
The audit also focused on Metrorail corrective action plans including corrective action plans as a result of WMSC findings, WMATA-recommended corrective actions that are overseen by the WMSC, and other corrective actions previously closed by entities such as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
The audit identified the following nine findings:
- “Finding 1: Metrorail does not have a sufficient number of rail traffic controllers and turnover is increasing.
- “Finding 2: Rail traffic controller written assessments, final assessments, and certification tests present conflicting data regarding an individual’s aptitude.
- “Finding 3: Metrorail does not provide refresher training to rail vehicle operators on incidents and emergencies.
- “Finding 4: Metrorail’s Train the Trainer (T3) program for Rail Training is not defined by Metrorail’s procedures.
- “Finding 5: Metrorail revised ATC local control procedures without first informing all affected staff including rail traffic controllers.
- “Finding 6: Rail traffic controller consoles have been manipulated without their knowledge.
- “Finding 7: Metrorail uses Microsoft Teams chats during safety events but has not demonstrated a review of these records when determining the facts of these events.
- “Finding 8: Metrorail documents have not been updated on the required cadence.
- “Finding 9: Metrorail personnel are not following Metrorail radio transmission rules such as for train identification and location information.”
WMSC issued the following three recommendations:
- “Recommendation 1: Metrorail ‘Service Disruption calls during safety events are led by personnel who are actively managing the event rather than the designated role (Metro 1).
- “Recommendation 2: Rail traffic controllers Advanced Information Management (AIM) system alarms are not standardized across rail traffic controller desks and personnel are not trained on how to arrange their alarm screens.
- “Recommendation 3: Metrorail does not evaluate the effectiveness of Line Platform Instructors (LPI).”
Metrorail is required to propose corrective action plans to address each finding no later than 30 days after the issuance of this report, according to WMSC.
As part of the audit, WMSC conducted 69 in-depth interviews with personnel who work in WMATA’s Metro Integrated Command and Communications Center (control center), Office of Rail Transportation, or Technical Training and Development.
The WMSC also conducted the following observation activities:
- Observation of pre-trip inspection at Greenbelt Rail Yard.
- Observations at the control center including rail traffic controllers, Car Maintenance Desk, Power and Maintenance Desks.
- Observation of Rail Training class.
- Observation of rail traffic controllers in the course of their duties at the control center.
- Observation of rail vehicle operator certification activities.
- Observation of rail traffic controllers in the course of their duties at the control center.
- Observation of Power Desk activities at the control center.
- Observation of quality assurance personnel performing compliance and testing activities.
