Under the oversight of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC), the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is working towards Metrorail safety improvements that will provide for even higher levels of safety for riders and employees.

This annual status report on the safety of the WMATA Rail System in 2022 outlines WMSC directives and on-going investigations as well as the status of Metrorail’s outstanding Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) and Metrorail’s other progress towards ensuring continuous safety improvement.

As its State Safety Oversight Agency (SSOA), the WMSC plays a significant role in driving Metrorail safety improvements through audits, safety event investigations, inspections, and oversight of CAPs, safety certification and emergency management. The WMSC issues directives and orders or takes other enforcement action when necessary. The WMSC’s priority is the safety of riders, workers and all others who depend on the system’s proper maintenance and operations.

The WMSC acted on this responsibility in May 2022 by issuing an order regarding Metrorail’s improper power restoration and insufficient training and supervisory oversight. Metrorail was putting people at risk of serious injury or death due to the repeated bypassing of redundancies built into the process for safety, and insufficient available information to ensure continuous safety improvement. In August 2022 the WMSC issued an order requiring Metrorail to develop and implement a corrective action plan addressing Metrorail’s ineffective and insufficient inspection, maintenance, and cleaning program for Automatic Train Control (ATC) equipment. These ATC deficiencies were found during an inspection conducted as part of the WMSC’s ongoing oversight activities.

The WMSC remains an active party to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the October 12, 2021, Blue Line train derailment and is overseeing WMATA’s Return to Service Plan for 7000 Series railcars. Throughout 2022, the WMSC team participated alongside NTSB personnel and the other parties in all aspects of the NTSB investigation.

The WMSC completed five audit reports in 2022 and conducted work on two other audits to be published in 2023. One such audit issued in 2022, Rail Operations, found that elements of Metrorail have a culture that accepts noncompliance with written operational rules, instructions, and manuals. For each audit finding, Metrorail is required to develop and implement a corrective action plan that addresses the finding and thereby improves the safety of the Metrorail system. The audits issued in 2022 were:

• Emergency Management and Fire and Life Safety Programs

• Rail Operations

• Station Maintenance, Elevators and Escalators

• Communications Systems

• Track Maintenance and Training

Metrorail has outlined and followed through on plans to address specific safety issues identified in recent years, which led to the closure of 55 corrective action plans in 2022. This is in addition to other safety issues Metrorail addressed through the WMSC’s inspections, investigations and other oversight processes, and those actions Metrorail took as a result of safety assurance measures required under its Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP).

The WMSC also oversees WMATA’s safety certification process which is designed to identify and mitigate hazards to provide for the highest practicable level of safety. Metrorail must carry out its safety certification process before placing new system elements into service. For example, Metrorail carried out this process for Silver Line Phase 2, which opened for passenger service on November 15, 2022, following WMSC concurrence that Metrorail has met the requirements of WMATA’s Safety and Security Certification Program Plan (SSCPP) and Metrorail’s other written safety commitments. These commitments under the SSCPP are one element of Metrorail’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP). The PTASP, requires a Safety Management System (SMS) approach that involves personnel at all levels and is focused on safety promotion, safety policy, safety assurance, and safety risk management.