Signs of Metrorail operator's intoxication went unnoticed for hours, report says

A Metrorail operator who was arrested last year for driving a train while under the influence of alcohol had been at the controls of a Blue Line train for hours, and a supervisor who was on the train for a time with the driver missed signs that something was wrong, according to a new report from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.

The man, who Metro has not named, was operating a Blue Line train the evening of Friday, Dec. 23, when he bypassed the Van Dorn Street station in Alexandria. Then, he brought the train to a stop for about 40 minutes, leading stranded passengers to call 911 before he finally let them out at the Franconia-Springfield station.

According to the safety commission's report, the driver worked a split shift that day and clocked in for the first time at 9:40 a.m. to work at a rail yard. He wasn't directed to operate any trains during that time and sat in his car for most of the shift, the report says.

For the second half of his shift, he was supposed to report to Hungtington Station by 5:28 p.m., but he showed up about two hours late.

A short time later, he was picked up by a train with another train operator and a rail supervisor inside. The driver took over operating the train at the King Street station and drove it to Downtown Largo.

During the trip, the train stopped short of the end of the platform at several stations, such as stopping 32 feet short at Potomac Avenue and 28 feet short at Capitol South, the report says.

The rail supervisor was on the train with the operator through the Stadium-Armory station, but later said during investigative interviews that they didn't notice any signs the driver was intoxicated, according to the safety commission.

At the Downtown Largo station, the operator got off and went to the terminal area for a break. Closed Circuit TV then captured him showing signs of impairment, including swaying and not walking in a straight line, as he walked down the platform to get back on the train and drive it toward the Franconia-Springfield station, the report says.

The safety commission said the operator's driving became more inconsistent over the next few stops, with the train stopping dozens of feet short at one point, and at the King Street station, he operated the doors without looking out the window, which is required for safety.

At the Van Dorn Street station, the operator overshot the platform by two rail cars and stopped briefly before continuing without ever opening the doors.

About a mile past Van Dorn at about 10:30 p.m., the train came to a stop and remained there for 40 minutes, during which the operator didn't respond to repeated attempts a passenger and the radio rail traffic controller made to contact him, according to the safety commission.

At 11:12 p.m., the controller instructed another train with a rail supervisor, Metro Transit Police officer and medics to go to the train and offload the 18 passengers onboard. But the driver woke up and finished the trip to Franconia-Springfield at about 11:20 p.m.

Transit police officers then stopped the operator from driving the train back toward Downtown Largo and Metro employees saw signs he was intoxicated, the report says.

The driver failed sobriety tests at the Fairfax County jail after he was arrested, and Metro fired him.

The safety commission said he had several safety issues since becoming an operator in 2019, including a colission in January 2020.

Since the Dec. 2022 incident, Metro has begun implementing a procedure to determine an employee’s fitness for duty when they show up for the second half of a split shift.

The safety commission concluded that Metro could have had a quicker response to the issue if staff detected and acted upon the overrun and failure to service Van Dorn Street station.

Metrorail could also consider developing procedures to address situations where an operator is out of communication with the Rail Operations Control Center, the safety commission said.