DC Subway Car 2 Months Overdue for Brake Work

Electronic 'anomalies' found, markings indicated driver hit emergency brakes

(NEWSER) - Federal investigators believe an electronic problem may have caused Monday's deadly train crash in Washington DC, the Washington Post reports. Teesting has uncovered "anomalies" in a section of the Metro's automated control system, which senses train locations and sends speed commands, according to investigators. More»

(AP) - The subway train that plowed into another stopped train yesterday, killing nine people and injuring scores of others in Washington, was part of an aging fleet that federal officials had sought to phase out because of safety concerns, an investigator said today. The Metrorail transit system kept the old trains running despite warnings in 2006, Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board said. More»

(NEWSER) - Experts suspect yesterday’s deadly subway collision in Washington was the result of both a system failure and human error, the Washington Post reports. The city’s trains are run by onboard computers, which should, theoretically, prevent trains from colliding. The system has failed once before, in 2005, but the operators hit the emergency brakes in time. It appears yesterday’s operator did not. More»

(NEWSER) - At least six are dead and 70 others injured after two subway trains collided during rush hour this evening in Washington DC, the AP reports. The incident is “developing into a mass casualty event,” a Metro spokesman told WJLA-TV. “We’re expecting a number of injuries.” A train on the Red Line, the system’s busiest, plowed into another train stopped at a station, Metro's general manager said at a press conference. More»

Commuters trapped inside station for more than 30 minutes

(NEWSER) - Washington’s public-transportation system is stretched to breaking today as crowds arriving on the Metro and commuter trains choke the exits at L’Enfant Plaza, the main disembarkation point for the National Mall. At 8:15am, a medical emergency forced officials to slow crowds leaving the station, and packed platforms have left commuters stuck for half an hour or more, reports the Washington Post. More»