WASHINGTON -- The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) says it’s aware of a dozen broken rail fasteners at its Red Line Wheaton Station, but that they don’t pose an immediate safety concern.
The broken fasteners, which secure the rails to the metal baseplate underneath and prevent them from moving, are all located along the middle rail of the Wheaton Station’s Shady Grove side.
Broken fasteners, if left unrepaired, can cause a condition called “wide gauge” in which rails permanently deform from the stress of the trains moving over them – potentially leading to derailment. In January, the final monitoring report of WMATA’s SafeTrack Program determined the root cause of the Aug. 6, 2015, derailment on the Orange Line between the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations was wide gauge of the rails resulting from “loose, skewed, and deteriorated fasteners.”
Four consecutive broken rail fasteners on the Shady Grove side of the Red Line's Wheaton Station. (WUSA9 photo)
The location of the broken Wheaton Station fasteners on a straight piece of rail where trains are already slowing is cause for less concern than if it was on a curve or a piece of open-air track, according to Russell Quimby.
Quimby was a rail safety engineer for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) from 1985-2007, eventually serving as the NTSB‘s investigator-in-charge. He currently works as a rail safety consultant through his business, Quimby Consulting.
“I don’t think that condition would cause an imminent derailment – it would be much more of a concern on a curve – but it still bothers me,” Quimby said. “That’s a relatively easy repair.”
The viewer who brought the issue to WUSA9’s attention also provided a tweet sent on Nov. 28 showing two of the broken fasteners at the station lying next to a distinctive watermark. The fasteners were in the same position as of Thursday evening, when WUSA9 went to the station to confirm the issue persisted.
(Left) A tweet dated Nov. 28, 2018, shows two broken fasteners at the Red Line Wheaton Station. (Right) WUSA9 photo from Dec. 13, 2018, showing the broken fasteners haven't moved.
In an email, a WMATA spokesman issued the following statement to WUSA9 about the broken fasteners Friday afternoon:
“We are aware of the condition you referenced, which does not pose a safety concern. Metro conducts walking inspection of its tracks — using employees and contractors — at least twice a week. Those inspections have found there is no movement in the rail, and the condition does not warrant any speed restriction or immediate action. (The area was inspected as recently as Wednesday and, in an abundance of caution following your inquiry, reviewed by a supervisor today.) Metro uses a database to prioritize track repairs, and while this location is in the pipeline, again, it is not a condition that would require immediate remediation.”
WUSA9 requested a copy of the latest inspection report for the Wheaton Station, and will update this story when that document becomes available.
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Jordan Fischer is an investigative reporter at WUSA9. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter @JordanOnRecord. Send news tips to jfischer@wusa9.com.
