by davinp
The WMSC said a northbound Blue Line train with passengers was traveling in Alexandria when it approached a switch south of the King Street station. That switch is where Blue and Yellow line trains begin using the same set of tracks instead of separate tracks.
The WMSC said the operator of the Blue Line train should have received a command to completely stop their train, but instead received a command that they could go as fast as 55 mph. The reason the Blue Line train was supposed to stop was to allow a northbound Yellow Line train to go first, and the switch was set in a position for Yellow Line trains instead of Blue Line trains.
The operator eventually saw they had a red signal, meaning they were supposed to stop, at which time the WMSC said the operator used the emergency brakes but was not able to stop until overrunning the red signal.
Fortunately, the Blue Line train stopped before the switch and never collided with a Yellow Line train. The WMSC said it was not clear how close or far a Yellow line train was at that time.
In a further mistake, the WMSC said the Blue Line operator was eventually allowed to keep going even though the switch was set for Yellow Line, leading to damage to the switch.
Employees accidentally overrode the so-called Automatic Train Protection system, which prevents trains from colliding with each other. That led to the Blue Line train operator receiving a command, allowing the movement of 55 mph when it should have been 0 mph.
https://www.wjla.com/news/local/metro-c ... ion-system#
The WMSC said the operator of the Blue Line train should have received a command to completely stop their train, but instead received a command that they could go as fast as 55 mph. The reason the Blue Line train was supposed to stop was to allow a northbound Yellow Line train to go first, and the switch was set in a position for Yellow Line trains instead of Blue Line trains.
The operator eventually saw they had a red signal, meaning they were supposed to stop, at which time the WMSC said the operator used the emergency brakes but was not able to stop until overrunning the red signal.
Fortunately, the Blue Line train stopped before the switch and never collided with a Yellow Line train. The WMSC said it was not clear how close or far a Yellow line train was at that time.
In a further mistake, the WMSC said the Blue Line operator was eventually allowed to keep going even though the switch was set for Yellow Line, leading to damage to the switch.
Employees accidentally overrode the so-called Automatic Train Protection system, which prevents trains from colliding with each other. That led to the Blue Line train operator receiving a command, allowing the movement of 55 mph when it should have been 0 mph.
https://www.wjla.com/news/local/metro-c ... ion-system#
