National Capital Region Delegation Demands Immediate ACtion Following New NTSB Report on WMATA

Press Release

In the wake of a critical National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report, the National Capital Region's Congressional Delegation today called on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to take immediate action to fix a serious safety issue resulting from improperly installed power connector assemblies throughout the Metrorail system.

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) joined with Representatives Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-MD), Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), and the entire National Capital Region Congressional Delegation, in sending a letter to WMATA Interim General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Jack Requa demanding immediate action to ensure all power cable connector assemblies are properly installed following the release of the NTSB report that exposed flawed and inconsistent installation practices that have contributed to dangerous arcing incidents.

"We are appalled that riders' lives may have been put at risk simply because a small, yet critical component of the power cable connectors was not installed as required by the manufacturer's directions and WMATA engineering specifications," the Members wrote. "Immediate action must be taken to protect the safety of all riders and ensure that we do not have repeated incidents."

The NTSB reports that WMATA "does not have a program to ensure that power cable connector assemblies are installed in accordance with its engineering design specifications," and that even after the fatal January incident, repairs by WMATA did not include the critical sealing sleeves to prevent arcing.

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