Thread by @MetrorailSafety

And we are live in 3, 2..... Join us on Youtube for our first remote public meeting on our #WMATA oversight work

No official public comments today (although you can always reach out @Metrorail Safety, on Facebook, Instagram, email or through our web form wmsc.gov/report/)

Chair Hart on today’s agenda:
- NTSB backs @MetrorailSafety
- Pandemic plans, implementation
- New @MetrorailSafety findings being issued today on safety concerns in the Rail Operations Control Center
- Silver Line safety certification
- Approve FY21 budget

CEO Mayer: In significant step demonstrating our key role over the last 14 months, @NTSB has now closed 2 recommendations issued after 2015 L'Enfant Plaza smoke, as no longer applicable since our oversight achieves aims of their recommendations for FRA oversight of Metrorail

“Our swift actions following the..collision last Oct. and the findings issued in Dec...demonstrate that we are fully exercising our oversight & enforcement authority as we continue to strive to improve the safety of riders, employees, contractors & all others served by Metrorail”

CEO Mayer:
“Turning to the current pandemic, we have, of course, been continuing our safety oversight activities for the Metrorail system”

“In addition to COVID-19 response oversight, we are doing our other work, such as finalizing investigation into the Oct. 7 crash.”

We appreciate that Metrorail is working closely with employees on COVID-19 response, including ATU 689 leadership.

Mayer: “We at the WMSC are not medical experts, but we are safety experts, and we are maintaining that role as we review Metro's response to ensure that hazards that could develop are properly addressed and mitigated”

With 19 stations closed indefinitely, and reduced service and hours, Metrorail is only operating its newest 7000 Series cars. All other cars are being stored in rail yards. Our staff is examining storage of the cars, and maintenance plans during this reduced service

CEO Mayer: We are monitoring #WMATA summer shutdown plans. Both newly announced work zones of one to two weeks, and the largest summer shutdown: all stations west of Ballston starting May 23.

CEO Mayer: With limited current staffing in the Rail Operations Control Center, our prior concerns about ROCC management, and new findings we’re issuing today, we thank Metrorail for recognizing safe, continuous single-tracking was not possible

Metrorail has assured us that they are working with all contractors to require health safety plans, and to ensure those plans are followed. Our immediate focus here remains on the health and safety of Metrorail employees, passengers and contractors.

CEO Mayer: We will carefully review Metrorail’s plans to ramp service back up again, including checking that any retraining required for employees or contractors is planned and accomplished as required

When we do return to normal operations, our headquarters will be moving (Our new offices will be at 750 First Street NE)

CEO Mayer welcomes new staff:
-Program Specialist Richard David: Fmr @ffxfirerescue Captain, ROCC Fire Liaison
-Program Specialist Adam Quigley: Worked in ROCC & at Amtrak, Bombardier
- Communications Director @amaxsmith: In this humble Tweeter’s opinion, needs no introduction 😎

@amaxsmith COO Samarsinghe picks up on how we are continuing our work in coming weeks and months, to ensure that our safety oversight continues without creating any unnecessary risk for our staff, Metrorail workers, or the public, applauds Metrorail’s employees providing essential service

@amaxsmith COO Samarasinghe: “We have developed a protocol for use in the event of a Metrorail accident or other serious event where it would be difficult for both Metrorail and WMSC investigators to respond at the same time while still maintaining social distance”

@amaxsmith Samarasinghe: The protocol outlines how we would ensure the collection of all data, participation in interviews, and other measures to ensure the integrity of the investigations that the Commissioners approve

@amaxsmith These procedures are some of the first of their kind, showing that we are leading the way nationally in State Safety Oversight response during #COVID19.

The Commissioners are set to vote shortly to authorize the issuance of this as an official “WMSC Directive and Order”

This is just preparation in case of an accident or other very serious safety event. Although we are monitoring a number of issues that have occurred over the last two months, the total number of safety events has declined with reduced service and lower ridership.

COO Samarasinghe: We continue to review Metrorail’s written policies and their pandemic response plans, and the additional pieces being developed as the scope of this challenge continues to evolve.

#WMATA is issuing masks as needed to workers in “close contact”. @MetrorailSafety has worked with Metrorail leaders to ensure workers’ concerns that we receive periodically about social distancing issues or getting replacement masks when needed continue to be properly addressed

Metrorail has informed us that some initial issues with the new facility disinfecting, like access to the Rail Operations Control Center for sanitization, have been addressed.

Metrorail is now allowing use of personal vehicles to report to work sites so crews don’t need to pile into fleet vehicle. And, after we expressed concern some workers were unaware of new policy, Metrorail management has worked to ensure all know

On our end, we have increased our contacts with Metrorail’s safety department and our monitoring of WMATA radio procedures among other things. We have also done some inspections from afar, for example at outdoor facilities

Commissioner Contestible asks when WMSC will have a draft of WMATA's PTASP.
COO says first two versions had initial reviews pre-significant COVID19 mitigations. Expect WMATA will meet new FTA end of year deadline with final approvals in fall range

Moving on to corrective action plans update, and our new findings being issued today.
First – an update on Metrorail’s important progress on an effective hours of service/fatigue policy. COO glad WMATA is working with union leaders, details expected to be finalized soon

Once this policy is in place, it will put @MetrorailSafety on the leading edge of state safety oversight in implementing this requirement for a local rail transit system that has applied for more than a century to intercity railroads

Samarasinghe: Not all of the changes we are requiring go so smoothly though. It took several months for Metrorail to understand that our finding on the dysfunction at the ROCC issued in December, was focused on serious management issues

CEO Mayer: we have uncovered new safety concerns in the Rail Operations Control Center.
Today, we are issuing three of the most serious findings for urgent action by WMATA wmsc.gov/oversight/offi…

Mayer: We came to these conclusions through our regular inspections and oversight, and through special interviews of 80 percent of Metro’s Rail Controllers that we conducted through early March.
We also spoke with ROCC leadership

Mayer: As we warned again in December, chaos and dysfunction in the control center is a major concern, and one that puts riders, workers and first responders at risk. Although Metro has made some progress, particularly regarding the controllers themselves, serious issues remain.

Mayer: As we warned again in December, chaos and dysfunction in the control center is a major concern, and one that puts riders, workers and first responders at risk. Although Metro has made some progress, particularly regarding the controllers themselves, serious issues remain.

Finding 1: Premature power restoration
Metrorail has re-energized the third rail power while workers or others are still on the roadway. Metrorail must stop this dangerous practice. Frequently happens because checklists or proper procedures are discouraged by management

CEO Mayer: Nearly all controllers we interviewed said ROCC management routinely directs them to violate safety rules including rules meant to prevent electrocution, derailments, collisions, or train movement with open doors.

CEO Mayer: It appears to us that that on time performance is more important to ROCC leadership than safety

Finding 2: Control Center management is regularly taking remote control of consoles without coordinating train movement plans. This could lead to miscommunication and other risks like power restored incorrectly or trains headed down the wrong track

Finding 3: Rail controllers do not have emergency ventilation fan playbooks and are not prepared to use the vent fans. Nearly all controllers we interviewed said their training was inadequate. Only a few were familiar with the playbook WMATA developed after 2015 L’Enfant smoke

CEO Mayer: “The clear lack of readiness to respond particularly to smoke and fire events could lead to a repeat of the January 12, 2015 response, or worse.”

Mayer: ROCC leadership has expressed a lack of confidence in the controllers, rather than viewing the chaos and documentation deficiencies as something driven by management.

CEO Mayer: Despite our prior direction, recommendations from the NTSB, and findings from the FTA over the last five years, yesterday, the ROCC Director told the WMSC that ROCC management only might allow the controllers to use checklists in only some circumstances

CEO Mayer: After Red Line riders were unnecessarily stuck in slow crawl near a fire in Dec, it took months for Metrorail to understand our findings focused on management.
Even after revisions, we remain concerned latest proposals may not ensure change gets to all ROCC leaders

CEO Mayer: All levels of management in the ROCC must be properly trained to recognize the importance of following checklists and procedures. Those checklists and procedures become even more important in an emergency, not less.

CAP updates from COO:
After many rounds of instruction from @MetrorailSafety, we are now reviewing for final approval a CAP proposal to deal with insufficient protections against unauthorized movement of trains (fix WMSC is requiring after Oct. 7 crash)

On our Feb. track audit:
WMATA has proposed effective solutions that would address 7 findings, has shown 1 finding doesn’t require additional CAP; but remaining 8 proposals were sent back to WMATA for revision. New improved proposals are now under WMSC review

Silver Line Phase 2 update from our COO & our Subject Matter Expert Tino Sahoo (reminder: MWAA is building it, WMATA will own/run it). @MetrorailSafety will evaluate and must approve WMATA’s conclusions on safety certification verification & testing

COO Samarasinghe: We will make our determinations based on our own independent inspections and examinations. Silver Line Phase 2 cannot open to riders until and unless we agree it is ready.

Sahoo: Since our last big update to Commissioners in Sept, our oversight has included observing Wiehle ATC tie-in work & efforts to fix cross-level at interlockings, and our own independent fire-life safety assessment of all stations, the rail yard & other areas of the extension

Among other issues we have raised, the new train wash track needs a motion warning system that is being retrofitted already at other yard locations. Ongoing issues include insulated joints in rail yard, switchgear safety signs.

While WMATA has technically focused on these as construction rather than safety issues at this point under the agreement between MWAA and WMATA (just meaning safety working group chain wasn’t lead for resolution), we are tracking concrete panel and interlocking cross level issues

On to resolutions:
Commissioners unanimously approve our FY21 work plan and $5.7M budget. Majority goes toward salaries/benefits for the staff who are responsible for conducting and overseeing investigations, audits, inspections and other oversight work

Commissioners authorize new investigative protocol that outlines requirements to collect data, participate in interviews remotely & other measures if regular steps cannot be taken due to social distancing requirements
Chair Hart: Proud to lead the way for SSOAs across the country

https://twitter.com/MetrorailSafety/status/1260252422829740041

Chair Hart: I would again like to remind everyone you can always report any concerns or otherwise get in touch with @MetrorailSafety through wmsc.gov; through social media channels like Instagram and Facebook; or by email

And that’s it for this month’s public meeting. Thank you for joining us