Preliminary Report 

Railroad 

DCA15FR004

The information in this report is preliminary and will be 

supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation.

On January 12, 2015, about 3:15 p.m. eastern standard time, Washington Metropolitan Area 

Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail train 302 stopped after encountering an accumulation of 

heavy smoke while traveling southbound in a tunnel between the L’Enfant Plaza Station and the 

Potomac River Bridge. After stopping, the rear car of the train was about 386 feet from the south 

end of the L’Enfant Plaza Station platform.

A following train, stopped at the L’Enfant Plaza Station at about 3:25 p.m., and was also 

affected by the heavy smoke. This train stopped about 100 feet short of the south end of the 

platform. Passengers of both trains, as well as passengers on the station platforms, were exposed to 

the heavy smoke.

Both Metrorail trains involved in this incident consisted of six passenger cars and were 

about 450 feet in length. As a result of the smoke, 86 passengers were transported to local medical 

facilities for treatment. There was one passenger fatality and two passengers were hospitalized in 

critical condition.
Figure 1. Damage from the arcing incident in the tunnel near L'Enfant Plaza Station.

NTSB investigators have inspected the area of the incident, where they observed severe 

electrical arcing damage to the third rail and electrical cables about 1,100 feet ahead of train 302. 

Recorded data shows that at about 3:06 p.m., an electrical breaker at one end of a section of 

third rail tripped (opened). At about 3:16 p.m. the WMATA Operations Control Center (OCC) 

began activating ventilation fans in an effort to exhaust smoke from the area. The electrical breaker 

at the other end of the third rail section remained closed; supplying power until the WMATA OCC 

remotely sent a command to open the breaker at about 3:50 p.m.
Figure 2. Damage from the arcing incident in the tunnel near L'Enfant Plaza Station.

NTSB investigators are reviewing maintenance records of track, signal and power

inspections, and railcar vehicles; documentation on previous events with smoke generation;

maintenance and repair records of the tunnel exhaust fan/ventilation operations; WMATA 

emergency response and evacuation plans; and employee training records. Investigators have also 

collected material samples from the incident site and are examining the samples at the NTSB 

Materials Lab. In addition, NTSB investigators are currently conducting interviews with personnel 

involved, and have begun the collection and review of all available surveillance video.
The NTSB has formed the following technical investigative working groups:

 Operations

 Survival Factors

 Fire Science

 Signal and Power

 Track

 Civil Engineering/Infrastructure

 Mechanical/Equipment

 Recorders

The NTSB Transportation Disaster Assistance Division is providing support to the 

WMATA victim assistance team.

Parties to the investigation include: the Federal Transit Administration, Tri-State Oversight 

Committee, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Amalgamated Transit Union

Local 689, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.