FTA Issues Report Citing Washington DCs Metro as Not Putting Safety as Top Priority

摘要

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a scathing report in early August 2016 criticizing the Washington DC Metro for putting service over safety. The report cited the July 29, 2016 derailment as an example of safety taking a back seat to scheduling. No injuries were reported in the derailment, which was reportedly caused by a defect called "wide guage," where the tracks are too far apart, causing the train's wheels to lose contact with the rails. The FTA's report charges that Metro officials knew of the potential problem but did not shut it down because that section needed to be open to accommodate repairs on other parts of the line.