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WMSC adopts investigation reports after staff detail wrong-side door openings, ATP cut-out and a track trespass injury
Summary
WMSC staff presented a set of safety-investigation reports describing a rise in improper door operations while trains were in automatic door operation, an ATP cut-out incident that allowed a train to run in passenger service with ATP disabled, and a person intentionally entering tracks and being struck; the commission voted to adopt the reports.
The Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission reviewed and adopted a set of investigation reports on Aug. 19, 2025 that documented operational safety events including improper door operations during automatic door operation, a train that operated in passenger service with automatic train protection (ATP) cut out, and a person who intentionally entered the track and was struck.
WMSC staff reported that, in 2024, Metro reported 25 improper door-operation events and that as of July 15, 2025, 18 such events had been reported so far in 2025 (an increase from 10 during the same period the prior year). The reported causes included loss of situational awareness, noncompliance with written rules and procedures, and operator errors while operating in automatic door operation (ADO). Examples presented included wrong-side door openings caused when an operator manually opened doors on the non-platform side or opened doors after improper berthing.
Metrorail implemented several immediate corrective actions after the events, including refresher training for involved personnel, a personnel notice reminding operators to use the point-and-call method, operator outreach, and compliance checks. WMSC staff also noted engineering mitigations elsewhere in the meeting, including efforts to disable an operator's station-stop cancel button on some legacy railcar series where it has no operational use.
In a separate investigation (Whiskey0389), WMSC staff described an ATP cut-out event on Nov. 14, 2024. A maintenance mechanic had inadvertently sealed an ATP toggle in the cut-out position on railcar 3057. That car was coupled into a train that later entered passenger service with ATP cut out; operators and yard staff did not notice the ATP indication on the console and control-center AIM displays did not catch the cut-out status in time. The issue was discovered in service; Metro removed the train from service and reinforced pre-trip inspection procedures. WMSC staff identified multiple human-performance failures across car maintenance, yard operations, operator pre-trip inspections and control-center monitoring.
The commission also heard Whiskey0390: a Silver Line train struck an individual who deliberately entered the tracks at Federal Triangle on April 28, 2024. The individual was extricated with non-life-threatening injuries; Metro Transit Police and DC Fire and EMS were notified and responded. WMSC staff said Metro's incident management procedures were reviewed and refresher training for control-center incident management was implemented.
After the presentations, the commission moved to adopt the set of investigation reports Whiskey0384 through Whiskey0390. The motion carried unanimously: 6 yays, 0 nays. WMSC staff indicated the adopted reports would be posted on the commission's website.
