Tax Deal Derailed DC Train Upgrade

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»

(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»

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»