WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail will begin inspecting bolts on the brake system of its older railcars every 60 days in response to a derailment last month, the Washington Post reports.
That derailment of a 7000-series trainset was caused when the train hit a brake disc that had fallen off a preceding train of older equipment, and subsequent inspections found loose or insufficiently tightened bolts on a number of the agency’s 2000- and 3000-series cars, which date to the 1980s [see “DC Metrorail inspections find loose bolts …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 3, 2023].
A Metro board meeting was told Thursday that 182 of 2,816 brake discs examined did not pass inspection, leading to the new inspection protocol. ““This is well above and beyond the industry-recommended procedures and adds additional conservatism over our existing process,” Chief Mechanical Officer Shushil Ramnaress told board members. The board was also told the Sept. 29 derailment near Reagan National Airport damaged 310 feet of track, ripping rails from concrete pads. It took nearly three days to drill new holes in the concrete and replace 247 rail fasteners.
Foresight is better than hindsight.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün