Metro is playing a constant game of “catch up” when it comes to the system that powers its trains, according to a recent peer review by the American Public Transportation Association.
Concerns about the safety of the system’s traction power system prompted a 29-hour shutdown of the system in March so Metro could inspect and replace some of its 600 jumper cables — which link gaps in the third rail — some of which were frayed and degraded enough to pose an immediate fire hazard.
Months after that emergency measure, Metro launched SafeTrack, an ambitious rebuilding program that attempts to condense three years of needed maintenance work into 10 months — though it will likely extend beyond its estimated March completion date.
APTA issued a series of recommendations to address lingering problems and communications gaps. The findings will be presented to the safety subcommittee of Metro’s Board of Directors at Thursday’s monthly meeting, and a final report will be issued later.
Among the findings: traction power substations were the site of debris, a fire hazard. Departments appeared to be “siloed”, causing communication lapses. And corrosion tests on the system aren’t as comprehensive as they should be.
One overarching recommendation: Metro should define clearer roles for its third-rail power personnel.
“Create positions that clearly provide ownership of specific areas: Traction Power Substation Maintainer, Electrician, Cable Maintainer and Bondsperson, etc.,” the report recommended. “Commission a manpower study to better allocate personnel.”
Reviewers also observed the Metro’s rail controllers have a high-work load that may be hard to juggle: train scheduling, traction power and fan control, management of safety procedures.
“A separate study should be conducted to determine optimum work load responsibilities,” APTA recommended.
Beyond posing a safety hazard, traction power issues have greatly diminished service on the Metrorail system over the past year.
Last September, a transformer fire destroyed a 9-megawatt power substation near Stadium-Armory, causing service disruptions that lasted for weeks. The substation was responsible for converting commercial power into third-rail current. Following the outage, Metro had to slow down trains and cap the number of trains passing through Stadium-Armory. And in May, a ball of sparks erupted after a train pulled away at Federal Center SW, prompting a shutdown of the station.
Following that incident, Metro replaced about 120 insulators, the stubby rail components propping up the third-rail, which are prone to fire when worn or damaged. It replaced an older porcelain model with a newer, supposedly more reliable fiberglass design.
APTA recommended that Metro conduct a further review of its insulators, evaluating the merits of porcelain versus composite models. Furthermore, insulators appeared to be “excessively” contaminated with soot and debris, APTA said, and Metro should find out why.
The review also suggested that Metro evaluate the design of its blow-dryer-shaped connector boots, a main factors in the L’Enfant Plaza smoke calamity last January. Chief Safety Officer Pat Lavin raised questions about the vitality of the design at a Metro board meeting in June.
APTA’s peer review team was made up of third-rail power experts from the Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston and Chicago subways.