Obama administration to launch Metro safety investigation

The Obama administration is set to put into effect a safety investigation of WMATA following the fatal incident at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station. One person died and dozens were sent to the hospital for treatment when smoke filled the station and a train on January 12. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx stated that they are taking the situation very seriously. The U.S. Department of Transportation will launch the safety review on March 2. The review will be conducted by the department’s Federal Transit Administration, and will focus on rail and bus operations, maintenance and employee safety training. After the completion of the investigation, federal transit inspectors will make recommendations for safety improvements across the Metro system.