What’s going on at the Farragut North Metro station? Last Friday there was a small fire that, while dealt with quickly, caused delays for many commuters on the coldest day of the year. And now, just five days later, there’s report of more smoke coming out of the same station, and a WMATA service alert (that looks to have just been taken down) of more delays on the Glenmont-bound Red Line due to “an emergency at the station.”

On the whole, we’re all thankful that these recent emergencies have only caused very short-term service disruptions and that no injuries have been reported. But on the other hand, two similar incidents at the same station in less than a week seems little strange. So color us relieved that new WMATA General Manager John B. Catoe has announced his intention to launch a comprehensive new safety initiative, which would include a thorough analysis of the state of Metro safety by an independent contractor. Though Metro’s safety record is comparable to other subway systems in the country, the number of accidents, including passenger injuries and worker deaths, over the last year are a serious concern.

Feel free to leave your Metro safety ideas, or complaints about this morning’s commute, in the comments.