Ahead of the release of what sounds like a pretty damning report from the Federal Transit Administration and following a report from the NTSB about what caused the fatal smoke incident at L’Enfant plaza, we heard from Virginia and Maryland’s frustrated senators earlier today.

The FTA report “is one more indication of a failure of leadership at Metro,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said.

Not to be outdone, eight members of the D.C.-area House delegation added their own statements of dismay to the public record. Among them:

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Va.): “This FTA safety inspection confirms what many of us have feared, that Metro continues to lack a top-to-bottom culture of safety. It’s time for the Metro Board to bring on new leadership to get the system back on track. Restoring rider confidence in the system will require tougher oversight and new resources from all partners at the local, state, federal levels. Sadly the FTA is just the latest oversight agency to cite concerns with Metro’s emergency management, training protocols, and maintenance backlog. It’s long past time that Metro makes safety its top priority.”

Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-Va): “Metro’s mismanagement and unacceptable safety record for its riders are deeply troubling. I have thousands of constituents riding the rails every single day and they expect and rely on Metro to be safe. The FTA’s safety inspection points out serious flaws with Metro that need to be corrected immediately. Metro must make safety its top priority moving forward, and we would welcome some new leadership in doing so.”

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.): “I am deeply disappointed with the findings of the Federal Transit Administration’s safety management inspection of Metro. A safer, more reliable Metro system should be a priority to ensure it serves the thousands of commuters who ride it every day and the millions of visitors who come to visit our nation’s capital.

The official outrage didn’t inspire much confidence in riders, though.

Really nothing about this day has been good for Metro.

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