Thread by @MetroReasons

6pm #wmata update:

...yeah.

#wmata

7pm:
OR/SV/BL still running about every 20-25 minutes.

Caps fans at Capital One should probably not expect service to improve by the time the game is over; this is what we have until system closing tonight.

BL service runs Franconia<>Mt. Vernon Sq.
#wmata

#wmata crews appear to have so far identified damage to power and ATC equipment between Rosslyn and where the Blue Line train yesterday derailed. Work to repair has begun, however #wmata has not yet provided any public information on what tomorrow OR/SV/BL service will look like.

Same tomorrow as today. Orange/Silver line trains running every ~25-30 minutes all day including during rush, and Blue running Franconia<>Mt. Vernon Sq every ~20min. #wmata

The #wmata press release:

7am:

Orange/Silver/Blue line trains are running at reduced capacity today due to ongoing post-derailment activities. Riders can expect about 1/2-1/3 the usual service at this time on a Thursday. Peak fares remain in effect.

#wmata

Just west of lower-level platform at Rosslyn, there's a switch that #wmata uses to send trains either twd Arlington Cemetery or Court House. That area of track is part of the derailment investigation, meaning trains can't run there, causing single-tracking

Why are OR/SV trains running every ~20mins today?
#wmata is running bidirectional service on 2 lines thru Clarendon-Foggy Bottom. It takes a train 8 mins for a single direction, add 1min for piggy-back train + ~2min to clear interlockings & set switches for other direction.

#wmata

The #wmata Board is changing today's Safety committee agenda to add discussion of Tuesday's derailment. Impastato leads the overview.

BL 407 derailed 1 set of wheels; all cars remained upright. "Communication remained functional". ACFD responded, evacuating 187 pax.

#wmata staff are working under the lead of the NTSB, along with the WMSC, to investigate the derailment. Impastato notes the agency won't be commenting, deferring to the NTSB.

"This concludes my update this morning"

The stuck holding brake error is a symptom of the underlying issue, not itself the cause. The 7Ks added software not previously on the 1-6K railcars to give the train operator diagnostic warnings/errors, but sometimes don't always pinpoint the cause
#wmata

10:15am:
#wmata Orange/Silver/Blue lines continue to run with significant delays, no change from earlier.

For those following along at home, the consist of the derailed Blue Line 408 train was:

(Towards Franconia) 7360-61x7201-00x7746-47x7087-86 (trailing end from Largo)

Railcar 7200 is the one which derailed one set of wheels.
#wmata

12pm:

Orange/Silver single-tracking between Clarendon and Foggy Bottom. Major delays, expect holds at stations and in tunnels.

Blue running from Franconia to Mt. Vernon Sq.

The other three are doing fine.
#wmata

3:15pm:

Service on Orange/Silver/Blue remains limited, but there's consistency in the headways. Trains on Silver/Orange are running every ~30 minutes, trains on Blue run to Mt. Vernon Sq every ~20.
#wmata

The #wmata Board issued a brief statement about Tuesday's derailment. They are "closely monitoring" the investigation and say they're awaiting the NTSB's determination of root cause.

#wmata says there might be "intermittent" delays on the Orange, Silver, and/or Blue lines tomorrow, but doesn't note the extent of said delays. The three lines otherwise are now scheduled to operate as normal.

I already wrote about why the "stuck holding brake" error is a symptom, not a cause, that could (or could not!) be related to Tuesday evening's derailment. See screenshot on the right.
#wmata

Half of the 8-car non-revenue train causing single-tracking on the Red Line now is the trailing quad of the train which derailed Tuesday. The 4 cars had been taken initially to NC Yard.

#wmata

#WMATA

Other than normal Orange/Silver/Blue having resumed, not much has changed since I wrote this initial overview of the #wmata Blue line derailment Tuesday. The NTSB/WMSC/WMATA investigation continues.
ggwash.org/view/82785/a-b…

We now have fallout from the Blue line derailment. #wmata is removing all 7000-series cars from service, which is most of the agency's fleet.

#wmata

Remember, #wmata still has most of its 6000-series trains also still of of service due to prior pull-aparts. That leaves only the 2000 and 3000's.

The WMSC says the derailed 7000-series car's axle was "out of compliance" with the car's technical specifications.

Worse, the same out of compliance issue was found on other cars.

Hence, all 7000's are now out of service. #wmata

#wmata now, with the 7000's pulled and most of the 6000's still out of service, has about 30% of it's rail fleet available for revenue service.

Expect major delays tomorrow, with trains running every 30 minutes or less.

One of the newest #wmata Board members has Thoughts about Metro publishing major customer-impacting news at 8pm on a Sunday

#wmata NTSB press briefing tomorrow:

Correction to my previous tweet: Loh has been nominated to sit on the #wmata Board, but it hasn't yet been approved by DC.

#wmata's statement says to expect less service tomorrow on all Metrorail lines, but it's probably safe to say this will be a multi-day event. The WMSC has ordered Metro to determine a plan for "detection and prevention" of "wheel gauge anomalies" on the 7Ks, which will take time.

#wmata

Only 16 6000-series cars have been cleared to re-enter revenue service at this point in time. #wmata

I'm out of good, responsible #wmata post-derailment 30-minute headway service tweets, but if y'all have questions I can try to answer them here or in an upcoming GGWash post.

<Here lies the info I wish I could give, but can't>

I am by far significantly less clever than whomever at @730_DC that came up with this 7000-series pun. #wmata

And as promised, #wmata is running shorter 6-car trains every 30 minutes, all day today. The 7000's and most of the 6000's are out of service.

#wmata's emergency schedule appears to be holding (so far). Vienna and Greenbelt terminals, for example, are dispatching trains at :00 and :30.

Wiehle: :05 and :35

#wmata trains are scheduled todepart from these terminals at those times:

SV/Wiehle: :05, :35

GR/Greenbelt: :00, :30
GR/Branch: :15, :45

OR/New Carrollton: :10, :40

YL/Greenbelt: :15, :45
YL/Huntington: :15, :45

RD/Glenmont: :15, :45

All other terminals TBD

Yes, #wmata could run more, shorter trains (2- or 4-cars). Two reasons they might chose not:

1) Train reconfigurations = yard moves, tying things up
2) Policy: all trains currently pull to the end of 600' platforms. 4-car trains wld leave 300' empty

Are any local TV stations doing us the honor of live-streaming today's NTSB press conference?
#wmata

File this under Just DC Things #wmata

So, who did Kawasaki contract to build the truck assemblies for the #wmata 7000-series cars?

First pass: Wheel issue known since 2017 causes Metro to pull its 7000-series trains #wmata
ggwash.org/view/82822/whe…

I wasn't at Metro Center at midnight last night getting a photo of the last 7K to run to Largo on the Blue line...nope, definitely not... #wmata

Assume delays on all #wmata rail lines until the agency says otherwise.

#wmata

#wmata Metrobus is reporting crowding due to riders coming over from Metrorail

According to @dcmetrohero, #wmata was able to put about 138 railcars into service today, which is approximately 11% of the agency's 1278-railcar fleet. (I'm told the # in service today is actually about 50 cars higher, but the publicly-accessible data is apparently undercounting)

The #wmata Board held a closed executive session meeting this morning after the NTSB press conference.

Gerry Connolly demands that #wmata do the thing that the WMSC ordered them to do Sunday

#wmata

#wmata trains will run at significantly-reduced levels through at least all of this week. Expect 15min headways on the Red Line, and 30min headways on all other lines. SV trains will turn at Federal Center SW.

wmata.com/about/news/Red…

#wmata

Senator Warner is "continuing to closely monitor the situation" #wmata

#wmata

Not to get lost in the shuffle, but #wmata two weeks ago sent out this alert explaining that operator shortages were causing some Metrobus runs not to operate, leading to delays for some riders. That won't help w/such significant Metrorail impacts.

Hmm maybe that $3,400 would've been worth-while
#wmata

I have filed a PARP for some info. Wish me luck.

ICYMI: the NTSB gave us details why the 7000-series trains are out of service leading to passengers waiting 30+ minutes for trains
ggwash.org/view/82822/whe…
#wmata

This northbound Yellow Line train, which had been in service for several hours, was offloaded yesterday because one of the railcars in the train had failed its axle wheel distance inspection test prior to being put out in service.
#wmata

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