Metro plan to return to automated train operation and automated doors next year if approved by the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission.
Since the 2009 Red Line crash at Fort Totten killed nine people, Metro’s train operators have manually stopped and started trains.
Metro said returning to automation would lead to an increase in safety, saying it would prevent red light overruns.
Metro said safety concerns after the 2009 crash have all been addressed, including the faulty track circuit issue that led to the crash.
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During the height of rush hour June 22, 2009, a train full of commuters was traveling between Takoma Park and Fort Totten but another train was stopped on the tracks ahead, waiting for its turn to pull into the Fort Totten station. The moving train slammed into the stopped train, crumpling and telescoping on top of it, killing nine people and injuring dozens more.
Metro's train detection system failed in two ways, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. First, it showed the struck train was not stopped and on the tracks when it actually was. Second, the automatic system had the striking train move forward at full speed. By the time its operator saw the stopped train, it was too late for the emergency brakes to stop the train.
Metro’s previous general manager said he planned to reintroduce train automation in 2019, but it never happened.
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Metro said it also plans to bring back automated doors in the spring.
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