Metro Chair Wants to Junk ATC Circuits

On the same day that Metro's general manager reports that 85 percent of the rail system's circuits have been tested-- and so far, all of them are working-- the chairman of the board that oversees Metro announced he wants to replace all of the circuits.

Investigators believe an intermittently-working automatic train control (ATC) circuit may have caused the train wreck that took nine lives last week.

On an internet chat with Metro's riders, General Manager John Catoe reported that all but 15 percent of the system's circuits have now been tested, and none of the circuits have failed the tests.

But WMATA Board Chair Jim Graham said flatly on FOX Morning News, "This circuitry should be replaced. There are 3,000 circuits of this type. This is one of the things we want to replace as part of our infrastructure modernization."

Metro's automatic train control system was designed in the 1960s, and until the last few years, has been extremely reliable.

General Manager Catoe also told riders on his online chat that 85 percent of Metro's Series-1000 rail cars have now been moved to the middle of trains. The older cars are structurally weaker than more recently manufactured rail cars.

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that Metro either strengthen the old cars or cease using them. Catoe pointed to a 2002 study which concluded that an under-frame reinforcement of the older cars "wasn't practical, and, in fact, might result in more injuries" in a crash.

About a quarter of Metro's fleet consists of the Series-1000 cars.

Metro's rail system remains in manual operation for the foreseeable future.

Because Friday is a federal holiday, the bus and rail system will operate on a Saturday schedule, with train service beginning at 7:00 a.m. and lasting until 3:00 a.m.