Metrorail limits service after pulling 60% of fleet for derailment investigation

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Hat tip, WBZ

Metrorail limits service after pulling 60% of fleet for derailment investigation

Alejandro Alvarez | [e-mail]
Ivy Lyons | [e-mail]

October 18, 2021, 5:45 AM

Significant delays are in store for Monday commuters with Metrorail pulling more than half of its rail fleet out of service as it continues to investigate last week’s Blue Line derailment.

The Washington Metro said late Sunday that its 7000-series rail cars — constituting roughly 60% of the rapid transit system’s entire fleet — would be held from service effective Monday opening, leaving only 40 trains for commuters across all six lines.

Trains will run every 30 minutes and be limited to six cars each of Metro’s older models. Riders can expect long wait times and crowding during peak hours, and should seek alternatives to Metrorail including buses if possible.

Anticipating a difficult commute, D.C. Public Schools said late student arrivals on Monday will be marked as excused.

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[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Safety Commission Orders WMATA To Pull 60% Of Its Train Fleet, Severely Reducing Service

OCT 17, 8:51 PM

Safety Commission Orders WMATA To Pull 60% Of Its Train Fleet, Severely Reducing Service

Jordan Pascale https://twitter.com/jwpascale

Metro service will be severely reduced Monday and it likely will stay that way for days and potentially weeks or months as the Metrorail Safety Commission ordered WMATA to pull the transit agency’s newest trains, the 7000-series. ... The order comes days after a derailment on the Blue Line near Arlington Cemetery. None of the passengers were injured.

With those limitations, Metro will run about 40 trains on Monday, offering “a basic service pattern” with only six-car trains running every 30 minutes on all lines.

“As Metro continues to work closely with the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission and [National Transportation Safety Board] and more information develops, we will update the public about service for the remainder of this week,” Metro said in a brief statement. Metrorail ridership has been growing steadily in recent weeks and is hovering around 200,000 riders on average per weekday. That’s only about a third of pre-pandemic ridership.

The independent safety commission and NTSB investigation found that the fourth axle on the derailed railcar was “out of compliance with the specifications for the wheel and axle assembly.” The safety commission says it found similar defects in other 7000-series trains that were not involved in the October 12 derailment.

Those trains make up 60% of Metro’s fleet. Meanwhile, all but 16 of Metro’s 6000-series trains are also still out of service for issues with couplers. Between the 2000-series and 3000-series trains, Metro technically has enough to run about 58 trains, though several of those cars could be out of service for regular maintenance and other reasons.

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[elleng]

2. Good luck to all Metro riders.

[IronLionZion]

3. Just took metro this morning downtown

there are not many trains running right now and plenty of people riding. I hope they fix it soon since more people are going in to offices these days. Usage is increasing. Thankfully everyone was masked.