| June 2009 Washington Metro train collision | |
|---|---|
 NTSB photo of crash scene | |
| Details | |
| Date | June 22, 2009 17:02 EDT (21:02 UTC) |
| Location | Between Takoma and Fort Totten, Northeast, Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°57′37″N 77°0′21″W / 38.96028°N 77.00583°W |
| Country | United States |
| Line | Red Line |
| Operator | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
| Incident type | Train collision/telescoping |
| Cause | Track circuit malfunction |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 (2 six-car trains) |
| Deaths | 9 (including a train operator) |
| Injured | Approximately 80 |
During the afternoon rush hour of June 22, 2009, a subway train wreck occurred between two southbound Red Line Washington Metro trains in Northeast, Washington, D.C., United States. A moving train collided with a train stopped ahead of it; the train operator along with eight passengers died, and 80 people were injured, making it the deadliest crash in the history of the Washington Metro.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found that after a June 17 replacement of a track circuit component at what became the crash site, the track circuit had been suffering from parasitic oscillations that left it unable to reliably report when that stretch of track was occupied by a train. The struck train came to a stop because of traffic ahead. Because the entire train was within the faulty circuit, it became invisible to the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system. The train behind it was therefore commanded to proceed at 55 mph (89 km/h). The operator of the striking train applied the emergency brake after the stopped train came into full view, but there was not enough time to prevent the collision, which occurred at approximately 49 mph (79 km/h).[1]
- ^ NTSB (July 27, 2010). "NTSB Railroad Accident Report: Collision of Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail Trains Near Fort Totten Station" (PDF). Retrieved May 15, 2015.