[ad_1]
The transfer comes after a public dust-up between Metro and the security fee a few week in the past, when Metro leaders stated they wanted “mediation” to resolve differences with the oversight company. Congress created the fee six years in the past to supervise security on the rail system after years of violations.
Fee spokesman Max Smith stated there had been no mediation resulting in Friday’s announcement. Somewhat, Smith stated, the security company continued to obtain and analyze extra info from Metro in latest days, together with on Friday.
“The information evaluation is what went on this week, with the extra info that was offered right this moment,” Smith stated Friday, including that the fee advised Metro on Jan. 13 that evaluations by technical consultants would proceed earlier than any approval to scale back inspection intervals. “This motion was precisely what had been communicated … WMSC is all the time appearing primarily based on the info.”
Metro declined to reply questions concerning the security fee or the knowledge the transit company offered, however stated in an announcement it appreciated the fee’s “immediate evaluation and concurrence” with its plans for the 7000-series automobiles.
“Our potential to maneuver from a 4 to 7-day inspection interval will regularly enable us to coach employees with this improved course of and work towards the protected implementation of improved service for our prospects,” Metro stated in an announcement.
The choice got here days after Metro publicly blamed the fee for blocking the transit company from taking steps to revive pre-pandemic service ranges. Below an October plan, Metro was allowed to slowly reincorporate its 7000-series automobiles in the event that they handed wheel inspections each 4 days. If no issues arose, Metro would be capable to reduce the time-consuming inspections to each seven days.
The security fee advised Metro earlier this month it was investigating a number of points after it discovered Metro was coaching monitor staff utilizing outdated security requirements. The fee additionally stated it discovered a number of new practice operators had not accomplished eight hours of rail yard coaching with an teacher, as required. Investigators additionally had been trying into whether or not Metro mechanics had been returning trains to service that Metro engineers might need flagged, which Metro officers denied and stated was being mischaracterized.
The fee requested Metro for extra info on the coaching and had set a Wednesday deadline.
The friction between Metro and the security fee can be mentioned Feb. 2 throughout a D.C. Council Transportation Committee listening to.
Justin George contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link
