With so many 7000-series Metro rail cars still not back in service, and still not carrying passengers – Metro appears to have a storage problem.
A safety oversight agency on Wednesday ordered WMATA to keep all of its 7000-series railcars off Metro tracks until they meet safety requirements, saying that some cars that returned to service after a train derailment in the fall still don't meet inspection criteria.
Metro had to pull all the 7000-series cars —which represent 60% of its fleet—after a derailment on the Blue Line on Oct.12. near the Arlington Cemetery station.
The incident revealed that the wheels on some of the railcars were spreading too far apart.
This latest setback is because the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission says Metro was not meeting its own new safety requirements for the railcars.
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission said in an order issued Wednesday on Dec. 23 the agency discovered WMATA returned some of the railcars to service, but those cars didn't meet Metro's requirements for inspection.
Dozens of the railcars could be seen parked along parts of the second phase of the Silver Line in Northern Virginia, which isn’t yet open.
There currently isn’t enough room in Metro's railyards for the cars, the transit agency said.
News4 has reached out to Metro for comment on the order to keep the railcars off the tracks.
