Circuit Flaw Suspected in DC Crash

Public anger erupts over second train crash since July

(NEWSER) - More than 260 people were injured today when two subway trains collided in central Shanghai, a government official says. Most of the wounds were bruises and bone fractures, and none were critical, Reuters reports, but one passenger says that “blood was everywhere." More»

Public transit mostly shut; residents advised to stay inside

(NEWSER) - Much of Washington is at a halt tonight, with snow falling at the rate of up to 3 inches an hour from the fearsome storm—perhaps the worst in modern history—working its way toward the capital. Above-ground portions of the city’s Metro system are closed, and expected to remain so through at least Saturday, the Post reports; bus service is also stopped indefinitely. More»

Metro will be scene of simulated mass-casualty attacks

(NEWSER) - Commuters at one of Washington Metro's busiest stations are being met today by dozens of transit police officers and bomb specialists as part of the system's biggest-ever security drill. "There is no immediate or credible threat" to the Metro, a spokeswoman tells the Washington Post. "We want to stay a step ahead." More»

Outlawed tax shelter scheme blamed for lack of modern safety features

(NEWSER) - Safer cars might have saved lives in Monday's DC train crash, but a tax-dodge deal made with a bank prevented the transit authority from replacing aging stock until 2014, the Wall Street Journal reports. The National Transportation Safety Board urged the authority years ago to either replace its older cars or add safety features, but the authority said it was unable to do so under a "tax advantage" agreement in which its rolling stock was sold to a bank and leased back. More»

(NEWSER) - The Washington subway car that rear-ended another yesterday, killing nine passengers, was two months overdue for brake maintenance, a Metro source tells the Post today. “These components are supposed to be changed out to prevent failures,” the source said; officials have not said if they think the car’s age and condition played a role in the wreck. More»