Metro is replacing the head of its Rail Operations Control Center — the nerve center for monitoring the entire rail system — after a series of safety violations, including sending trains with passengers to investigate a reported fire in tunnels.

WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld sent out a memo Monday announcing the change.

“A strong safety culture requires constant vigilance and continuous improvement,” Wiedefeld wrote. “The ROCC must be the backbone of that culture.”

“We recognize that work is needed to transform Metro’s safety culture from reactive risk management to proactive risk management … [that] requires support and engagement from every employee.”

The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission mandated many changes to the ROCC, warning of “dangerous dysfunction” in the department.

An audit found that a December 2019 fire incident had shades of the deadly 2015 L’Enfant Plaza smoke incident.

“[ROCC] managers appeared to be routinely negating the written procedures that controllers were attempting to follow,” WMSC officials wrote. “Choosing not to use required checklists contributed to dozens of riders being stuck in a slow crawl back to a station platform to avoid a fire.”

Public safety journalist Dave Statter has also chronicled many of the communications and other issues at the ROCC over the years.

Deltrin Harris was director of the Rail Operations Control Center for more than three years but had worked in the ROCC for nearly 20. He oversaw 130 workers and three facilities responsible for the safe and efficient operations of the rail system. On his LinkedIn page, Harris wrote that he, “possesses extensive knowledge of safety law, rules, policies and procedures as they pertain to rail operations and infrastructure issues.” Harris will be reassigned to oversee the Orange and Silver lines.

Wiedefeld says WMATA will conduct a nationwide search for his replacement. Metro is also tapping Jayme Johnson, director of strategic initiatives, to “strengthen leadership culture” at the ROCC.

In a statement, WMSC officials said, “We appreciate Metrorail’s step in the right direction, following our findings over the last seven months, to replace part of the management team with responsibilities for the Rail Operations Control Center.”

WMSC officials say they’ve identified “significant safety problems with management, training and certain other aspects of the ROCC, and we are still looking forward to final, formal Corrective Action Plan proposals that provide specifics on how required improvements will be implemented and sustained.”

The safety oversight body says the culture and operations in the ROCC must change. They cited “yelling, conflicting instructions, and the failure to use checklists” during hectic times when incidents happened.

“We are more optimistic now that our latest findings and the follow up discussions we have had with the highest levels of WMATA leadership have led to a commitment and, now, initial action to address crucial long-running safety issues like the managerial culture in the control center without the need for the WMSC to resort to enforcement action. We are hopeful that these new assignments, reviews and reporting structures will provide a basis for the positive changes we are requiring.”

The WMSC required Metro to correct items like:

• Making rail controllers take reoccurring training on emergency ventilation fans and making sure they follow a “playbook” that outlines how to use them properly.
• Prohibit ROCC managers from remotely controlling trains from the ROCC without coordinating with the controllers.
• Creating procedures to ensure third-rail power, which carries a strong electrical current that can be dangerous, is not restored prematurely.

The WMSC says it will continue to focus on the ROCC in coming months.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.