WASHINGTON — The first day of automated operation on DC Metrorail’s Red Line went well, a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority representative told local news media.
Sunday, Dec. 15, was the first day for use of Automatic Train Operation on any part of the system since it was disabled following a fatal 2009 collision [see “Automatic Train Operation returns …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 15, 2024]. The ATO system was ultimately found not to be at fault, but it was not initially restored while WMATA dealt with other safety issues.
Some minor overruns — where trains went past their intended stopping point — did occur, WTTG-TV reports, but these were as little as a foot did not impact operations, according to the WMATA representative.
Return of ATO to the full Metrorail system is planned for later this year, but will require approval by the independent Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. The commission approved use on the Red Line just last week.
