(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on August 10, 2010.)
Yesterday, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) board pledged to recreate a board safety committee and revise WMATA’s mission statement and board procedures to “underscore the authority’s commitment to safety,” WMATA officials said in a prepared statement.
The pledge was made as part of a process to implement National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations that were made following a June 22, 2009 accident involving a WMATA train.
The agency has implemented several of NTSB’s safety recommendations, such as replacing its 1000 series rail cars and appointing a chief safety officer to report directly to the general manager.
The board also has begun receiving monthly reports from the chief safety officer and quarterly reports from the Tri-State Oversight Committee.
In addition, a new safety management system is being developed that tracks safety concerns identified by staff and actions taken.