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Washington subway board to retain outside safety advisers after derailment – Metro US

Washington subway board to retain outside safety advisers after derailment

FILE PHOTO: A person rests on a Washington Metro subway
FILE PHOTO: A person rests on a Washington Metro subway car wearing a face mask, following Mayor Muriel Bowser’s declaration of a state of emergency due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chair of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) board said on Wednesday that directors will retain outside safety advisers in the wake of last week’s derailment, which that led to the indefinite removal of about 60% of the subway system’s railcars.

The subway system, known as the Metro and which serves the U.S. capital and parts of Maryland and Virginia, said Monday that sharp cutbacks in service would last at least through Sunday.

WMATA Board Chair Paul Smedberg said in a statement the “independent advisors will provide the Board with expert opinions, analysis, and recommendations on a full range of issues concerning the safety, operations and organizational accountability of Metro.”

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)