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By TSC Staff
June 22, 2009
Update 3:30 am PDT
Two rush-hour metro trains collided Monday on the Red Line in northeast Washington, DC. At least seven people died and 75 were injured. Crews cut the two trains apart to get people out.
The six-car trains were both headed in the same direction, according to Metro spokewoman Lisa Farbstein. One train smashed into the back of another as cars from the trailing train jack-knifed into the air and fell atop the first. The female operator of the trailing train died.
"Obviously something went terribly wrong for two trains to be on the same track," she said.
According to The Washington Post, this is the
third time in the last 15 years that two Metro trains have collided.
The last was in November 2004, when a Red Line train rolled backwards
down a steep stretch of track, and smashed into another train at the
How safe is subway or commuter rail travel in the US? What can you do to stay safer?
The Washington crash is the third subway or commuter rail crash in the past nine months, according to Seth Borenstein of the Associated Press. For many years,
"Until last September, rail systems — much like their airline
counterparts — were cruising with far fewer accidents than in previous
years and decades," Borenstein writes. "The number of train accidents per mile dropped
nearly 30 percent from 1990 to 2008, according to
> In September 2008, a commuter rail train crashed into a freight train. Twenty-five people died.
> Last month, about 50 people were injured in Boston when a trolley rear-ended another trolley.
> And now, the Washington accident, the worst in the city's history.
What should you know to improve your safety?
1. Situational awareness. When you ride a train, are you familiar with its basic safety features and what you would do in the event of an emergency? In Washington Metro trains, for instance, "call boxes at the end of each rail car enable any rider to report
an emergency to the operator.
In addition:
- Every (Washington Metro) rail car has an emergency door release behind the panel
next to the middle doors. The panel carries instructions for releasing the doors and
evacuating passengers.
- Door chimes alert passengers to stay clear of the doors as they open or close.
- Operator has ready access to an emergency button that instantly locks all the wheels on the train.
The TSC staff is compiling more information on rail safety. Please check back for updates and new articles.
