Train Operator Acted Properly, Though No Emergency Was Imminent

A train operator acted properly in activating emergency brakes on May 5, even though there was no threat of an accident, according to Metro's preliminary investigation.

The operator hit the brakes as he approached the Wheaton station on the Red Line for fear that he might be too close to a train stopped ahead of him at the station. The train stopped 600 feet away the other train. Both trains had passengers on board, but no one was hurt.

All track circuits were found to be working properly, according to the Associated Press.

Though it appears there was no threat, the investigation found that the operator did the right thing because he believed his train might have been traveling too fast.

Metro trains have been operated in manual mode since one Red Line train plowed into another stopped on the tracks killing nine people last June.

Operators rarely hit the emergency brakes.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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