5:46 PM

Senate Committee Wants Records From Metro On 7000-Series Train Wheel Issues

Jordan Pascale https://twitter.com/jwpascale



Metro crews demonstrate how they measure the distance between wheels on a train.

WAMU/DCist / Tyrone Turner

A U.S. Senate committee has sent a letter to Metro asking what the transit agency knew about the wheel issues on 7000-series trains. The Washington Post was first to report on the letter.

The problem, where wheels moved two inches apart on an axle, contributed to a derailment on the Blue Line in October and led to officials sidelining the trains. Metro has known about the issues since 2017. No one was injured in the derailment.

The Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee is seeking records including a timeline of Metro’s actions, how it worked with suppliers, and the total amount spent on the problem. The letter says it is in “furtherance of our oversight responsibilities and in an effort to better understand WMATA’s reaction to the wheel alignment issue.” The federal government supplies about a quarter of Metro’s budget.

“It appears WMATA and Kawasaki have been aware of wheel alignment issues with the 7000 series since 2017 and WMATA has been working with Kawasaki to address the issues since that time,” senators wrote. “In furtherance of our oversight responsibilities and in an effort to better understand WMATA’s reaction to the wheel alignment issue, and in particular, decisions by WMATA, Kawasaki or other parties about risk factors associated with the 7000 series railcars wheel assemblies, we request WMATA provide information to the Committee.”

The Senate request comes on the heels of other investigations from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, the National Transportation Safety Board, and Metro’s inspector general.

A U.S. Senate committee has sent a letter to Metro asking what the transit agency knew about the wheel issues on 7000-series trains. The Washington Post was first to report on the letter.

The problem, where wheels moved two inches apart on an axle, contributed to a derailment on the Blue Line in October and led to officials sidelining the trains. Metro has known about the issues since 2017. No one was injured in the derailment.

The Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee is seeking records including a timeline of Metro’s actions, how it worked with suppliers, and the total amount spent on the problem. The letter says it is in “furtherance of our oversight responsibilities and in an effort to better understand WMATA’s reaction to the wheel alignment issue.” The federal government supplies about a quarter of Metro’s budget.

“It appears WMATA and Kawasaki have been aware of wheel alignment issues with the 7000 series since 2017 and WMATA has been working with Kawasaki to address the issues since that time,” senators wrote. “In furtherance of our oversight responsibilities and in an effort to better understand WMATA’s reaction to the wheel alignment issue, and in particular, decisions by WMATA, Kawasaki or other parties about risk factors associated with the 7000 series railcars wheel assemblies, we request WMATA provide information to the Committee.”

The Senate request comes on the heels of other investigations from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, the National Transportation Safety Board, and Metro’s inspector general.

{snip}