WMATA has a new plan to fix itself

[strictures]

WMATA just published a 650 page plan for correcting problems on their rail & bus system.

The first 535 pages are about the rail system, especially the Rail Operations Control Center, which is vastly understaffed, overworked & undertrained.

Here's the page with the report's PDFs: http://www.wmata.com/getting_around/safety_security/FTA_CAP.cfm

They also just had a fire that destroyed a major electrical substation, which will cause them to reduce the number of trains on three lines & slow speeds in that substation's section for at least six months until it's rebuilt.

[Busjack]

The first thing to note is that there is a lot of repetitive boilerplate, and it would take a high level of technical expertise in the regulations to figure anything out.

It is questionable how many of these are purely safety related, such as something about Clever Reports and another about fareboxes.

Some things seem pertinent to CTA, such as assaults on bus operators and guards over the operator's compartment.

But since this is a Chicago site, that gets down to what was the purpose of the Safety Management Inspection Program, and whether this was a one time stop at WMATA, or is it coming here next? All I could find was the announcement of the one at WMATA here, which appears to be a test. We know that there are safety and maintenance issues at CTA.

 

[Busjack]

Things must be really falling apart on the Metrorail. There just was a radio report that they have to shut it down completely,after a fire, to inspect cables (Washington Post).