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June 24, 2009

DC Transit Officials Were Warned on Subway Cars Before Fatal Crash
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In Washington, DC, federal transportation officials say transit
authorities ignored recommendations to replace older subway cars before
Monday’s crash that killed nine people. On Tuesday, National
Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Debbie Hersman said the
warnings were first issued three years ago.

Debbie Hersman: “We made recommendations in 2006 about the
crash-worthiness of the 1000-series cars. We recommended to WMATA to
either retrofit those cars or to phase them out of the fleet. They have
not been able to do that, and our recommendation was not addressed, so
it has been closed and in an unacceptable status.”



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