DC Metro touts fulfilled NTSB recommendation

The agency that runs the Washington, D.C., Metrorail subway system is touting its fulfillment of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation that was issued after a deadly crash in 2009.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said Wednesday that it closed an NTSB recommendation that called for the establishment of a system to test the performance of devices that compose electronic train control systems.

The capital area transit agency said it has closed 21 of the 29 recommendations that were issued by the NTSB after its investigation of the 2009 crash on the Metro’s Red Line that killed nine people.

WMATA General Manager Richard Sarles said the Metro system was vastly improved since the 2009 accident that first spurred the NTSB to issue its recommendations.

“We continue to make steady progress toward making the system safer for riders and employees,” Sarles said in a statement. “We remain committed closing the remaining eight recommendations as soon as possible, while continuing to foster a culture of safety, shared responsibility and vigilance.”