The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission says its members are waiting for additional information requested from Metrorail and intensive work is needed to ensure the transit agency is prepared to roll out ATO.
"As part of our oversight of Metrorail’s safety certification work regarding automatic train operation and automatic door operation, the WMSC communicates regularly with Metrorail regarding specific safety issues. This includes questions related to areas such as Metrorail’s potential timelines, testing, training development and implementation, roadway worker protection, and technology adjustments, and other intensive work needed for Metrorail to ensure the preparedness of not only the physical systems but also the Metrorail organization as a whole to safely operate using automatic train operation or automatic door operation," the commission said in a statement.
Metro hasn’t operated in ATO mode since a Red Line train crashed in 2009, killing nine people. It remains the deadliest incident in Metro's history.
