NOV 24, 5:17 PM

Metro Pulls 6000-Series Railcars After Second Train Separation In Two Months

Daniella Cheslow https://twitter.com/DaniellaCheslow

Metro is pulling all its 6000-series railcars from service after a train separated Tuesday afternoon on the Red Line. The event bears similarities with another recent separation, the agency said in a statement. ... “The 6000-series action was ordered due to commonalities with an incident in October in which two cars of a Red Line train became detached from a train outside Union Station,” Metro said.

Metro said all the cars were expected to be removed by Tuesday night, and the suspension would continue indefinitely amid an investigation. ... The transit authority said customers should expect “minimal” impact, because newer 7000-series cars comprise the majority of the rail system’s fleet.

Tuesday’s separation happened at about 1p.m., the agency said. An eight-car train of all 6000-series cars separated just after departing Glenmont Station. ... Max Smith, spokesperson for the government oversight agency the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, said the train split apart between the fourth and fifth cars as it was crossing over from one track to another. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue helped evacuate about 12 passengers, he said. ... “It was right outside the station, as it was crossing over, that this separation appears to have occurred,” he said. “It was only within probably a few hundred feet of the platform.” ... Metro said there were no injuries and that an emergency brake engaged as it was designed to in the event of a separation.

Last month, another train separated on the Red Line, triggering another temporary pause in service for the 6000-series cars. In that incident, 103 passengers had to be evacuated near Union Station. A WMSC review found that an improperly torqued bolt was the cause of that train’s cars coming apart.

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