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For the second time in a month, Metro has fired a train operator for running a red signal, this time while operating a Blue Line train on July 27.

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said in a memo that the agency’s safety department found the operator at fault for the incident, which took place at the National Airport Station. The unnamed operator was terminated “for reasons related to the individual’s personnel history,” Weidefeld added.

Here is the full memo to WMATA employees, provided to DCist by Metro.

I want you to be aware that we have taken another administrative action on a red signal incident. On July 27th, a signal was overrun as a train departed National Airport Station. The Safety Department determined that the cause was train operator error and is continuing the investigation. For reasons related to the individual’s personnel history, the operator’s employment has been terminated.

Bus and train operators are among the most safety-critical jobs at Metro. The wellbeing of our passengers and employees is in your hands. Our workforce operates many thousands of bus and train trips safely every day, and we have many, many employees who we celebrate for achieving millions of miles of safe service every year. I know these cases of rules violations are exceptions, but please see them as I do – not just as a reminder of what it means to be accountable, but also of the importance of maintaining situational awareness, rules compliance, and avoiding bad habits that can creep into repetitive work.

Your safety, and all our safety, is riding on it.

Sincerely,

Paul J. Wiedefeld
General Manager/CEO

When authorities stopped the train, two of its six cars were past the platform, The Washington Post reports. The incident led to single-tracking for about an hour.

Last month, Metro fired a train operator for running a red signal at Glenmont Station and nearly causing a collision with an oncoming train. After the incident, a Federal Transit Administration spokesperson told The Post that the stop signal overrun was “a serious safety concern and would be the latest of such an occurrence that is all too frequent on the WMATA ‎Metrorail system.” The spokesperson added that the FTA will release a report later this summer after reviewing more than 50 such incidents.