Under the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission’s oversight, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is working towards safety improvements that will provide for increased levels of safety for riders, employees, contractors and first responders who interact with the system. In 2024, the WMSC identified progress that Metrorail has made under the WMSC’s oversight, but also identified new or recurring Metrorail safety issues that WMATA is required to address through corrective action plans and other safety improvements.

As its State Safety Oversight Agency (SSOA), the WMSC plays a pivotal 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.

This annual report on WMSC operations and the safety of the WMATA rail system in 2024 details the WMSC’s programs, operations, and finances, and provides a status update of the WMATA Rail System in calendar year 2024.

Some of the most notable safety oversight work in 2024 included overseeing Metrorail’s safety certification process for activation of automated systems, investigating safety events such as the near-miss collision of two trains near Dupont Circle Station, that demonstrated Metrorail personnel are not adhering to established policies and procedures, an issue that has also been identified in other areas, including as it related to Metrorail’s Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) program. The WMSC also implemented a new risk-based inspection program, that enhances our previously existing program, as required by Federal Transit Administration Special Directive 22-50, which required the WMSC to develop and implement a risk-based inspection program as required by 49 U.S.C. § 5329(k).

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. This required process must be completed prior to new elements and equipment being put into service. 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. Full implementation of the PTASP is expected to take several years of continuous improvement. For example, the WMSC oversaw Metrorail’s completion of the safety certification process required to identify and mitigate hazards and after years of this oversight work, the WMSC provided concurrence with Metrorail’s Temporary Use Notice and to activate Automatic Door Operation (ADO) and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) on the Red Line.

The WMSC completed four audit reports in 2024 and conducted work on four other audits to be published in 2025. One such audit issued in 2024, Roadway Worker Protection (RWP), found that Metrorail is not effectively ensuring that its personnel on and around the roadway are consistently following the Roadway Worker Protection rules designed for their safety. 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 2024 were:

• Audit of Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) Program

• Audit of Revenue Vehicles (Railcar) Program

• Audit of Power Systems

• Audit of Automatic Train Control (ATC) and Signals Program

Audit work was also conducted for the following programs in 2024, with final audit reports scheduled to be issued in 2025:

• Audit of Fitness for Duty and Occupational Health Programs

• Audit of Emergency Management and Fire Life Safety Programs

• Audit of Control Center and Rail Operations

• Audit of Elevators and Escalators

Under WMSC oversight, Metrorail has outlined and followed through on plans to address specific safety issues identified in recent years, which led to the closure of 42 corrective action plans in 2024. 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).

Fiscally, the WMSC operated within budget, and delivered effective oversight for the region. The WMSC continued in 2024 to strategically increase expertise and capacity to support our work. The WMSC completed Fiscal Year 2024 within budget of $6,711,00 and developed the Fiscal Year 2025 budget of $7,318,00 in accordance with the jurisdictional funding agreement among the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The WMSC’s budget incorporates federal grants and local funds, making funding from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and federal grants critical to the WMSC’s important work overseeing Metrorail safety. This investment allows the WMSC to function as an effective independent oversight agency. The WMSC’s FY 2024 annual independent financial statement audit included an unmodified or “clean" audit opinion, which demonstrates the WMSC is using these funds responsibly in accordance with the WMSC’s requirements.