“We are concerned about other transportation companies in the United States,” said Ms. Homendy. “We may have a strong recommendation at some point, or I would say if you’re a transportation company operating in the United States and you’re listening, make sure you check your cars too.”
The NTSB learned of the alignment errors from the Washington Transportation Department only after the federal agency opened its investigation into last week’s derailment, Ms. Homendy said.
In a statement Monday afternoon, Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said the Transportation Department is working “hand in hand” with federal investigators and the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, the independent agency that oversees safety in the Metro system.
“I want to assure our customers that their safety is the basis of every decision,” said Wiedefeld. “We apologize for the limited service and ask our customers for their patience and support as we work to get Metro back into normal operation.”
Kawasaki Rail did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Federal investigators said 187 passengers were aboard a blue line subway train when it derailed on October 12 at 4:51 p.m. south of Rosslyn Station in Arlington, Virginia. The passengers were evacuated and a person with non-life-threatening injuries was taken to hospital, investigators said.
A preliminary NTSB investigation found that the same train derailed at least twice at 3:23 p.m. and 4:13 p.m. on the same day, but the train itself ” on the rails “was locations.
Federal investigators said they found broken sections of a brake disc where the two previous derailments occurred. The car responsible for the derailment was four cars away from the cab, said Joe Gordon, the NTSB official in charge of the investigation, on Monday.
