By Lena H. Sun
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 27, 2008; B01

Worn track fasteners. Crumbling concrete platforms. Corroded traction power cables.

Those are among the items that need to be repaired or replaced at a cost of $244 million in the next two years for Metro to operate safely, but the transit agency can't afford the work.

Metro officials have determined that the agency needs $489 million in urgent work to replace worn equipment, improve rail car safety and fix deteriorating infrastructure. That amount includes the $244 million for projects that need attention within the next two years.

The funding shortfall is scheduled to be discussed at a Metro board committee meeting today, the first time such a comprehensive review has come before the board in recent years.

"We're looking at every project and starting to formalize our funding strategy," Metro General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. said in an interview yesterday.

Officials said passenger safety is not at immediate risk.

Catoe said employees were trying to prioritize capital projects and determine whether funds from less pressing projects can be shifted. One option being considered is to cancel contracts with vendors to recoup money, he said.

"We need to identify what we must do now and look at what funds you can transfer," he said.

Because of Metro's chronic capital and repair needs, it is difficult to make long-term plans, officials have said. It is the only major transit agency in the country that does not have a significant source of dedicated funding.

The 32-year-old system needs costly fixes, but its financial needs are exceeding the means of local governments. All jurisdictions served by Metro are facing budget deficits because of the struggling economy.

The largest chunk of money, $88 million, is needed to replace or repair infrastructure damaged by water. Affected materials include track feeder cables throughout the system and deteriorating concrete platforms at the Shady Grove, Deanwood and Minnesota Avenue stations.

At the Shady Grove station, metal jacks are shoring up the concrete as a temporary fix. Moisture and age have also damaged metal track fasteners, which were installed when the system was built. Fasteners help keep tracks secure. Metro says it will need $20 million to replace 120,000 fasteners.

Looking ahead, Catoe wants to explore seeking additional federal funding when the $244 billion transportation bill, which guarantees funding for highways, road safety and public transportation, comes up for reauthorization in September. Catoe is a co-chairman of the legislative committee of the American Public Transportation Association, an industry group that is seeking more money for public transportation.

The least palatable option, Catoe said, would be for Metro to borrow money.

A fare increase would not be an option for making up the shortfall because it would fall under the operating budget, which is separate from capital spending.

One of the agency's most pressing needs is to upgrade its electric substations, also known as traction power substations, officials said. The substations convert energy from utility companies to operate the trains.

For Metro to meet its goal of running more eight-car trains during rush hour by next spring, the agency needs to replace transformers at many substations. The longer trains draw 33 to 50 percent more power than six- or four-car trains.

Failed transformers and a lack of spares caused power failures in August that virtually crippled the subway system for two days. The agency says it needs $1.5 million for four spare universal transformers to back up the existing system.

An additional $45 million is needed to make rail car safety enhancements recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board. Those include $5 million to install emergency door releases on the outer walls of the trains in the 1,114-car fleet to allow workers to manually open the doors. Door releases are only inside the cars. Metro is also seeking $7.5 million to modify the doors on five of its six types of railcars to prevent doors from automatically opening on the wrong side.

The agency says it also needs $35 million to repair information technology systems that were put in place years ago but not completed. As a result, many finance, payroll, budget and procurement functions are not working at full capacity.

Other urgent capital needs:

¿ $90 million to overhaul the southern and western bus garages.

¿ $32 million to replace corroded ceiling tiles in underground stations. Most ceiling tiles are 20 to 30 years old. The cost to replace them at each station is about $650,000.

¿ $16 million to replace chilling units in the water system that Metro uses to cool stations in the summer.

¿ $10 million to install bumpy tiles along the platform edge at 20 Metro stations to make them compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act and safe for blind customers.