DC Metro chief pledges to cut train delays in half

The head of Washington’s Metro transit system is promising to cut train delays in half during his second year on the job.

{mosads}Exactly one year after he took the helm at Metro, general manager Paul Wiedefeld unveiled a plan to improve subway service called “Back to Good.” The initiative is designed to restore passenger confidence, enhance reliability and rebuild ridership.

“Getting back to good service means running trains safely and on time,” Wiedefeld said at the National Press Club on Wednesday.

The plan includes new steps to reduce the track defects and rail car failures that often prevent trains from running on time.

Wiedefeld’s effort comes at a critical time for the beleaguered transit agency, which is facing a nearly $300 million budget shortfall next year that may result in service cuts and fare hikes.

Metrorail is also undergoing a massive, yearlong repair project known as “SafeTrack,” which has involved shutting down stations, extended delays and late-night service cuts.

Most of Wiedefeld’s fist year on the job has been consumed with addressing persistent safety issues including derailments, tunnel fires and trains running red lights. He shut down the entire system for a day in March in order to conduct emergency inspections and repairs, and he has fired employees and brought on new staff.

 “The hard truths are only getting harder,” Wiedefeld said.

While Metro will still focus on safety and its repair project, there will also be an added emphasis on customer service.

“SafeTrack was a physical thing that could be fixed, but this is about attitudes and the commitment,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) told The Hill on Wednesday. “If you’re ever going to have Metro recover, this is the essential ingredient.”

As part of the “Back to Good” effort, Wiedefeld plans to get rid of Metro’s older railcars and convert all 8-car trains to the newer 7000 series cars by the end of 2017.

The initiative also includes new preventive maintenance work on the tracks, as well as goals for operating trains on schedule and visibly improving station cleanliness and lighting.

“The safety of the system … should be a basic given,” Wiedefeld said. “What [the customers] want is the trains to run on time and the buses to run on time. And that’s what we will be focused on in [2017] going forward.”

Another priority is preventing “near miss” collisions on the tracks by implementing new technology and instituting speed restrictions to help prevent red-signal violations.

This summer, a train operator did not stop for a red signal and nearly hit an oncoming passenger train and two inspectors who were on the track.

With safety lapses still taking place during SafeTrack, however, some have questioned whether Wiedefeld’s efforts are working.

But Wiedefeld insisted that the agency’s safety culture is improving and pointed out that employees are now reporting issues, which wasn’t the case before he stepped into the role.

“The safety culture is taking root at Metro. I’ve seen it,” he said. “We have a very long way to go to turn Metro around, but I know we are on the rise.”