Thread by @tomroussey7news

BREAKING: NTSB says the Metro train that derailed last week derailed at least three times that same day & was not pulled out of service until the last derailment. It was able to get back on the tracks the first two times. Broken brake parts left behind all 3 times. #wmata

NTSB: “This could have been catastrophic.” #wmata

NTSB says the first 2 derailments the train kind of righted itself & got back on the tracks. But the third one started at a switch near the Rosslyn station and the train never righted itself. It grew worse as the train moved on until the train could no longer move easily. #wmata

NTSB says that the first two derailments the Metro train operator appears to have honestly not known what happened. The brake parts were only found later when the investigation started. Each time it was the fourth car of eight that derailed. #wmata

The first two derailments the train was switching tracks so it encountered two switches. NTSB says the first switch derailed it, the second switch got it back on track. But at Rosslyn there was no second switch so it stayed off the tracks. #wmata

The NTSB says after the derailment Metro reported a problem with the wheel-axle assembly of 7000 series trains that has been growing much worse. Inspections uncovered 2 issues in 2017 but this year the number jumped to 18 with 31 other problems found since the derailment. #wmata

Both the NTSB and Metro overseer the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission say Metro had not previously notified them of this problem with the 7000 series trains. It's unclear at this point how long those trains will be pulled from service. #wmata

With the 7000 series out of service, Metro says it is only running older trains with 6 cars, like this one I just saw at L’Enfant Plaza. Each line will arrive every 30 minutes. #wmata

I'm told it's highly unlikely the 7000 series trains will be back in service within the next couple days. Based on folks I'm talking to it's really not clear how long beyond that they'll be out of service. #wmata

The timing of all this is especially devastating for Metro. Metrorail was finally starting to see significant ridership growth after being decimated by the pandemic, clearly this is going to send its momentum back in the negative direction. #wmata

Even the recent ridership growth had only gotten Metrorail back to a little less than a third of the number of riders it used to see. Adding service in early September had helped draw people, but now with the 7000s gone trains are a half hour apart. #wmata