Metro News Release

For immediate release: June 23, 2009

Tuesday Red Line service altered as a result of Monday collision

Customers should avoid the Red Line Tuesday

FAQs related to train accident

Red Line service continues to be severely impacted today, June 23, as a result of a fatal collision on the Red Line on Monday, June 22, between the Fort Totten and Takoma Metrorail stations, that has resulted in nine deaths.

Red Line trains are operating between the Glenmont and Silver Spring Metrorail stations and between the Shady Grove and the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metrorail stations. All trains are six- and eight-car trains, and they are running about eight to 10 minutes apart. Trains are very crowded. The Brookland-CUA, Fort Totten and Takoma Metrorail stations are closed to Red Line traffic. However, the Green and Yellow lines are operating normal service through Fort Totten Metrorail station.

Free Metrobus shuttles are available to take customers around the incident between the Silver Spring, Fort Totten, Brookland-CUA and the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metrorail stations. Metro also is providing shuttle buses and its regular Metrobus routes 70/71 and 79 (Georgia Avenue) service from the Georgia Ave-Petworth and Silver Spring Metrorail stations. People can expect long waits for buses as a full Metrorail train often carries 100 people or more per car and a bus can only hold about 50 people at a time.

Metro officials recommend that customers who normally use the Red Line between the Glenmont and Silver Spring Metrorail stations should commute to Metrorail stations between the Shady Grove and Grosvenor-Strathmore Metrorail stations, or to use the following Metrobus lines to avoid the service disruption:

• Metrobus C8 line (Glenmont to White Flint)
• Metrobus Q2 line (Wheaton to Rockville)
• Metrobus C2, C4 line (Wheaton to Twinbrook)
• Metrobus J1 line (Silver Spring to Medical Center)
• Metrobus J2, J3, J4 line (Silver Spring to Bethesda)
• Metrobus L7, L8 line (Friendship Heights)

Metro has doubled its bus service on the limited-stop S9 and 79 (16th Street, NW, and Georgia Avenue) lines.

Metro officials recommend that people use the Green and Yellow lines, which are operating normal service between the Greenbelt and Branch Ave and Fort Totten and Huntington Metrorail stations.

MARC’s Brunswick Line service is suspended today (June 23) due to the proximity of its tracks to the accident scene.

Metro safety and operations officials are working hand-in-hand with the National Transportation Safety Board investigating the cause of the accident.

People who believe their relatives may have been on board the trains involved in the accident can call 311 if they live in the District of Columbia or 202-737-4404 or 202-671-0722. A family reunification center has been established at 501 Riggs Road, NE, in Washington.

“This is an incredible tragedy and our hearts go out to the families of those who suffered fatalities and to those whose loved ones are injured,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe. “We are committed to investigating this accident until we determine why this happened and what must be done to ensure it never happens again.”

Metro officials do not know the cause of the 5 p.m. Monday collision and are not likely to know the cause for several weeks or months as the investigation unfolds. According to preliminary reports, two Red Line trains were on the same track headed toward Shady Grove Metrorail station when train 112 collided with train 214.

Train operator Jeanice McMillan, who was operating train 112, died as result of the collision. Officials have confirmed that at least eight passengers also died in the accident. McMillan, 42, of Springfield, Va., had been a Metro employee since January 2007.

Train 112 was made up of all 1000-series rail cars (rail car numbers 1079, 1078, 1071, 1070, 1130 and 1131). Train 214 was made up of a combination of 3000- and 5000-series rail cars (rail car numbers 3036, 3037, 3257, 3256, 5067 and 5066).

Metro has a total of 1,126 rail cars in its Metrorail fleet. There are 290 1000-series rail cars, 364 2000/3000-series rail cars, 100 4000-series rail cars, 188 5000-series rail cars and 184 6000-series rail cars.

The only other time in Metrorail’s 33-year history that there were customer fatalities was in January 1982, when three people died as a result of a derailment between the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian Metrorail stations. The only other time that Metrorail trains collided was in 2004 when two trains collided at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Metrorail station, in which there were minor injuries.

Customers who were onboard train 112 or 214 can file an injury claim by calling 202-962-1681.

Media contact for this news release: 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.

News release issued at 12:22 pm, June 23, 2009.