2009 Red Line collision

E4791

The 2009 Red Line collision was a deadly rear-end crash between two Washington Metro trains near Fort Totten station that became one of the worst accidents in the system’s history and prompted major safety reforms.


Statements (44)
Predicate Object
instanceOf public transportation disaster
rail accident
train collision
abbreviation WMATA
abbreviationOfInvestigator NTSB
cause failure of automatic train control system
inadequate safety oversight
track circuit malfunction
city Washington, D.C.
country United States
date 2009-06-22
directionOfTravel outbound toward Shady Grove
emergencyResponseBy District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
fatalities 9
highlightedIssue crashworthiness of 1000-series railcars
injuries 80+
investigatedBy National Transportation Safety Board
involvedRollingStockModel 1000-series railcars
jurisdiction District of Columbia
legacy catalyst for long-term safety culture changes at WMATA
line Red Line
location Washington Metro Red Line
near Fort Totten station
mediaCoverage extensive national news coverage
memorials commemorations for victims near Fort Totten
notableFor deadliest crash in Washington Metro history at the time
numberOfTrainsInvolved 2
operator Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
publicImpact disruption of Red Line service
heightened public concern about Metro safety
regulatoryOutcome calls for stronger federal transit safety standards
recommendations for creation of a federal transit safety oversight body
result changes to train control systems
increased federal oversight of transit safety
major safety reforms in Washington Metro
replacement and modification of older railcars
safetyConsequence implementation of additional fail-safe measures
suspension of automatic train operation
safetyRecommendationSource NTSB safety recommendations to WMATA
timeOfDay evening rush hour
trackConfiguration above-ground section of Red Line
transitSystem Washington Metro
typeOfCollision rear-end collision
worstAccidentInSystem one of the worst accidents in Washington Metro history

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Washington Metro
safetyIncident

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