Photo by benjenkins1915Metro has released the preliminary findings of its investigation into what’s been described as a near-miss collision on the Red Line on May 5.
At 8:51 a.m. that morning, a train operator approaching the Wheaton station switched into emergency brake mode when he observed a train ahead of him. According to Metro’s findings, the operator believed that his train was traveling too fast, and decided to bring the train to a stop to avoid a possible collision. WMATA says the train ended up stopping approximately 600 feet from the one ahead of it.
“At no time was a hazardous condition present,” according to Metro Chief Safety Officer James Dougherty. The investigation also found that the train operator acted properly when he switched to emergency brake mode.
As has been widely noted, the incident was not immediately reported to the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which goes against Metro policy.
