Washington Metro’s Chief Safety Officer reports that nearly half of Metro’s 500 rail operators have lapsed recertification, which includes classroom instruction, and supervised testing in the rail yards as well as on the mainline.

In consultation with the Board of Directors, Metro management is taking immediate corrective action to remove from service 72 train operators who became out of compliance prior to May 2021. This will result in a temporary reduction in Green and Yellow line service from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes due to an operator shortage. In addition, extra trains to relieve crowding, support special events, or replace out-of-service trains may not be available. Service impacts are expected to continue until the end of May.

The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) identified lapses in recertification in a recent review, which prompted Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer Theresa M. Impastato to further investigate the issue.

Recertification is important because it gives every train operator time to refresh on the rules, reinforce their knowledge, and benefit from evaluation. Also, it’s vital that Metro management complies with policies they established to ensure safety for the traveling public. The process to recertify more than 250 rail operators will take an estimated two to three months.

Metro’s safety department is reviewing the refresher training of more than 2500 bus operators, which follows a different process than rail. 

-via press release