Metro GM Responds To Washington Post

Metro's GM John Catoe responds to the Washington Post's report.

The Washington Metro has found at least six spots where signaling equipment designed to detect the presence of trains on the tracks has malfunctioned since a fatal crash last month.

Metro says "anomalies" were found in six circuits other than the one at the site of the crash. The Washington Post identified locations where problems were occurring, and a Metro spokesman confirmed Wednesday that those locations are accurate.

However, Metro insists the problems on these other circuits are not as serious as the problem at the crash site.

The signaling equipment in the crash area failed periodically in the days leading up to the accident, in which nine people were killed. Federal investigators have not determined what caused the crash but have urged Metro to upgrade its train control system with continuous backup protections.

Related Stories:

Metro: System is Safe Despite Reports
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Trouble on the tracks is raising serious questions for Metro. A published report in the Washington Post says several circuits along the system have recently failed.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/072109_report_metro_track_circuits_fail

WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE | Metro Discovers Problems In Additional Track Circuits
The train control system designed to prevent Metro crashes is malfunctioning across the railroad, suggesting that a technological failure at the heart of last month's fatal crash might be widespread, according to officials and documents.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/21/AR2009072102479.html