NTSB report criticizes D.C. Metro, first-responders, FTA on fatal smoke incident
Officials issued the criticism during a Tuesday meeting to present findings about the probable cause of the incident.

WMATA

WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Christopher Hart said little has changed at Metro more than a year after the Jan. 12, 2015, smoke crisis in a tunnel near Metro’s L’Enfant Plaza station that killed one person and injured scores more, The Washington Post reported. Hart issued the criticism during a Tuesday meeting to present findings about the probable cause of the incident.
Passengers on the smoke-filled train waited more than 35 minutes for help to arrive, officials have said. One complication was a delay by Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center in placing an emergency 911 call after a train operator reported smoke and fire in the tunnel, according to the report.
Hart also had harsh words for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), saying that, “Despite new authorities, the FTA remained – and remains – averse to crafting and enforcing safety regulations and minimum requirements regarding operations, track and equipment and signal and train control systems,” according to The Washington Post.
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