Collision of Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail Trains Near Fort Totten Station Washington, D.C
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Collision of Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail Trains Near Fort Totten Station Washington, D.C. June 22, 2009 Railroad Accident Report NTSB/RAR-10/02 National PB2010-916302 Transportation Safety Board NTSB/RAR-10/02 PB2010-916302 Notation 8133C Adopted July 27, 2010 Railroad Accident Report Collision of Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail Trains Near Fort Totten Station Washington, D.C. June 22, 2009 National Transportation Safety Board 490 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20594 National Transportation Safety Board. 2010. Collision of Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail Trains Near Fort Totten Station, Washington, D.C., June 22, 2009. Railroad Accident Report NTSB/RAR-10/02. Washington, DC. Abstract: On Monday, June 22, 2009, about 4:58 p.m., eastern daylight time, inbound Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail train 112 struck the rear of stopped inbound Metrorail train 214. The accident occurred on aboveground track on the Metrorail Red Line near the Fort Totten station in Washington, D.C. The lead car of train 112 struck the rear car of train 214, causing the rear car of train 214 to telescope into the lead car of train 112, resulting in a loss of occupant survival space in the lead car of about 63 feet (about 84 percent of its total length). Nine people aboard train 112, including the train operator, were killed. Emergency response agencies reported transporting 52 people to local hospitals. Damage to train equipment was estimated to be $12 million. As a result of its investigation of this accident, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration, the Tri- State Oversight Committee, the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Alstom Signaling Inc., and six transit systems that use General Railway Signal Company track circuit modules (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transportation Authority, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Chicago Transit Authority). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency dedicated to promoting aviation, railroad, highway, marine, pipeline, and hazardous materials safety. Established in 1967, the agency is mandated by Congress through the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to investigate transportation accidents, determine the probable causes of the accidents, issue safety recommendations, study transportation safety issues, and evaluate the safety effectiveness of government agencies involved in transportation. The NTSB makes public its actions and decisions through accident reports, safety studies, special investigation reports, safety recommendations, and statistical reviews. Recent publications are available in their entirety on the Internet at <http://www.ntsb.gov>. Other information about available publications also may be obtained from the website or by contacting: National Transportation Safety Board Records Management Division, CIO-40 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 (800) 877-6799 or (202) 314-6551 NTSB publications may be purchased, by individual copy or by subscription, from the National Technical Information Service. To purchase this publication, order report number PB2010-916302 from: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, Virginia 22161 (800) 553-6847 or (703) 605-6000 The Independent Safety Board Act, as codified at 49 U.S.C. Section 1154(b), precludes the admission into evidence or use of NTSB reports related to an incident or accident in a civil action for damages resulting from a matter mentioned in the report. NTSB Railroad Accident Report Contents Figures .............................................................................................................................................v Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... xi Investigation Synopsis ................................................................................................................... xi Probable Cause.............................................................................................................................. xii Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ xiii Factual Information .......................................................................................................................1 Accident Synopsis ............................................................................................................................1 Accident Narrative ...........................................................................................................................2 Emergency Response .......................................................................................................................5 Initial Notification ....................................................................................................................5 Accident Site Access ................................................................................................................5 Resources and Command .........................................................................................................5 Rescue and Recovery Operations .............................................................................................6 Medical Operations ...................................................................................................................7 Injuries .............................................................................................................................................7 Damage ............................................................................................................................................8 Personnel Information ......................................................................................................................8 Train 112 Operator ...................................................................................................................8 Train 214 Operator ...................................................................................................................9 Medical and Toxicological Information ........................................................................................10 Meteorological Information ...........................................................................................................11 Postaccident Equipment Inspection and Testing ...........................................................................11 Postaccident Site Inspection ..........................................................................................................12 Operations Information ..................................................................................................................14 Track Information ..........................................................................................................................15 General ....................................................................................................................................15 Track Inspections ....................................................................................................................16 Track Maintenance .................................................................................................................17 Train and Mechanical Information ................................................................................................18 Metrorail Railcar Crashworthiness ................................................................................................19 Automatic Train Control Overview ...............................................................................................20 ATC Subsystems ....................................................................................................................20 Speed Commands ...................................................................................................................22 Train Operating Modes ...........................................................................................................23 Monitoring and Control of Train Operations .................................................................................23 Data Transfer and Communication .........................................................................................24 Data Management and Train Status Display ..........................................................................26 OCC Controller Displays During Accident Sequence ...................................................................29 i NTSB Railroad Accident Report Signal Information .........................................................................................................................29 Train Detection and Collision Avoidance ..............................................................................29 Postaccident