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.
#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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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'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.
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
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 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.
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.
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 radio transmissions do appear to suggest that damage to Metro power infrastructure may have been intentional, and is what's causing this service suspension. Few details available yet as to power restoration timeline.
#WMATA offloaded Red Line train 114 due to a propulsion issue. The train is now being "Proceeded" - that is, a lookout in the lead car is radioing back to someone further back in the train so the train can move - in order to get it back to a rail yard.
Delays, both directions.
The #WMATA ROCC appears to have found a clever way to route around the disabled train just outside Grosvenor. Inbound trains are traversing via the pocket track; outbound is unaffected.
#WMATA has posted its FY22 Q3 financial report, dated May 13, 2022. It was posted on July 29, 2022. This period covers January-March, 2022.
Among other derailment investigation cascading effects: #WMATA has overhauled fewer of its older 2000/3000-series railcars with new components because they're needed for service.
As of March 2022, 82 of 182 6000-series railcars were potentially available for service.