**Update: On January 31, 2018, WMATA responded to the below letter. WMATA announced that it will speed the purchase of 2,500 dual-band radios that will allow Metro operators to communicate directly with Metro’s communications center and first responders.**

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today asked the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to renew its focus on safety and prioritize fixing any remaining radio communications problems following a red line Metro derailment Monday morning, during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. In a letter to Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, Sen. Warner noted that despite years of work and millions of dollars invested to fix this issue, communication issues remain. 

“Although progress has been made in some respects, Monday’s train derailment and related radio communications problems serve as a stark reminder that WMATA needs to renew its focus and prioritize fixing any remaining radio communications problems,” Sen. Warner wrote. “Despite years of work on this issue and millions of dollars invested, the continued problems with this network are simply unacceptable.”

Sen. Warner raised similar concerns nearly three years ago following the fatal smoke incident that occurred at the L’Enfant Plaza metro station, where severe problems with WMATA’s public safety radio network, as well as interoperability issues involving communication with local law enforcement agencies including the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, were first noted. In response to Sen. Warner’s request, Metro pledged to implement a system to test Metro and regional emergency radio systems.

“The federal government has committed significant investments to improve the efficiency and safety of the Metro system, and you can count on my staunch advocacy here in Congress for continued federal investment. While I understand the current budgetary restrictions that WMATA faces, safety must always be the top priority and a reliable public safety radio network is critical to ensuring the safety of Metro’s riders,” the Senator added.

A PDF copy of the letter is available here. Full text can be found below. 

January 18, 2018

Mr. Paul J. Wiedefeld

General Manager

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

600 5th Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20001

Dear Mr. Wiedefeld,  

I write to you, nearly three years to the day, after first raising the issue of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) breakdown in public safety radio communications. Although progress has been made in some respects, Monday’s train derailment and related radio communications problems serve as a stark reminder that WMATA needs to renew its focus and prioritize fixing any remaining radio communications problems. Despite years of work on this issue and millions of dollars invested, the continued problems with this network are simply unacceptable. Our region’s commuters, WMATA’s train operators, and local law enforcement officers deserve better than to be forced to deal with “spotty” radio coverage that could jeopardize lives in the case of an accident or incident underground. For these reasons, I ask that WMATA provide me with an update on current efforts to sufficiently and effectively maintain the underground radio communication network, including answers to the specific questions below.  

In my letter of January 22, 2015, I noted multiple concerns related to the emergency response following the fatal smoke incident on a Metro train near the L’Enfant Plaza station. During that incident, it was apparent that there were severe problems with WMATA’s public safety radio network, as well as interoperability issues involving communication with local law enforcement agencies including the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. In response to my request, WMATA and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), through a months-long, serious effort, developed recommendations for short-term and long-term improvements that included more frequent testing of communications networks and increased collaboration with local jurisdictions. 

Recent media reports of “ghost” trains, poorly maintained cables, and sources complaining of unaddressed problems months after an issue was first raised indicate that earlier problems persist and the effort to ensure a working public safety radio network must be redoubled. Understanding that installation of the new 700 MHz radio system is underway, completion of that work is still years away and we continue to rely on the current 490 MHz Comprehensive Radio Communications System (CRCS). We cannot rush to install the new technology at the expense of maintaining the current system, leaving current Metro riders vulnerable in the case of an incident where a working public safety radio system is critical.

In Monday’s Red Line derailment, we were fortunate to avoid any injuries or fatalities. However, the reported radio problems served as a stark reminder that a reliable public safety radio network is critical to the overall safety of the system. 

To that end, I ask for comprehensive responses to the following questions by January 26, 2018.

1. What is the status of the action items taken on by WMATA and its partners stemming from its 2015 work with COG? How many of the short-term recommendations from COG’s July 2015 report were implemented? How many of the long-term recommendations were implemented, or are in the process of being implemented?
2. Do interoperability concerns continue? Do local law enforcement radio networks continue to experience problems in communicating with WMATA networks, and how does WMATA plan to make improvements in this area? 
3. How much has been invested in the new 700 MHz radio system thus far?
4. How much is current estimate on total cost of implementation, and what is current estimate on when that will be completed?
5. Is funding being budgeted appropriately to meet the planned completion date? Does a shortfall exist, where remaining funding has not yet been identified?
6. How much is being budgeted for maintenance of CRCS? Is it WMATA’s position that it has sufficient funding to provide for adequate maintenance of CRCS, or is there a funding shortfall for this effort? 
7.  Has frequent testing of the system continued to date, in accordance with the plans developed following the 2015 fatal smoke incident? How often are “dead spots” discovered? Can you share a full inventory of current “dead spots”? What is the average response time to address and fix any reported “dead spots”?

 The federal government has committed significant investments to improve the efficiency and safety of the Metro system, and you can count on my staunch advocacy here in Congress for continued federal investment. While I understand the current budgetary restrictions that WMATA faces, safety must always be the top priority and a reliable public safety radio network is critical to ensuring the safety of Metro’s riders. 

Sincerely, 

MARK R. WARNER

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