WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx directed the Federal Transit Administration to assume immediate oversight of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Metrorail’s operations, reported the Alexandria News.

Foxx sent a letter to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Christopher Hart, in response to the NTSB’s Urgent Safety Recommendation that the Federal Railroad Administration assume oversight of WMATA’s transit rail operations from the Tri-State Oversight Committee, which is currently responsible for safety oversight of Metrorail, but lacks sufficient resources, technical capacity and enforcement authority to provide the level of oversight that is needed.

In his letter, Foxx said: “Through the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act legislation, Congress provided the FTA with greatly enhanced, independent safety oversight authority, which augments the enhanced authority of State Safety Oversight Agencies, and if necessary, allows FTA to assume those same authorities in the absence of an effective SSO agency. FTA has the capability to assert this authority and, at my direction, will do so immediately.” For the full story, click here.