That concludes today’s meeting. Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

View the entire WMSC Strategic Plan wmsc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/...

We appreciate the engagement with the Commissioners on this draft Plan. Moving forward and throughout the implementation, we will continue to assess the effectiveness of the goals and objectives, and we will collectively address any changes.

The next step in this plan is implementation, which will include a collaborative rollout, both internally and externally, with our stakeholders including WMATA, the FTA, and other entities around the region.

We developed four strategic goals to help us achieve our mission
1. Enhance safety oversight and mission capabilities
2. Foster strategic stakeholder engagement
3. Promote transparency, integrity, and accountability
4. Strengthen WMSC organizational capacity and excellence

CEO Mayer: Our mission to advance the safety of the Metrorail system through independent oversight and effective enforcement.

The WMSC’s Vision is to be the model of safety oversight, inspiring confidence in the Metrorail system. Our core values are, transparency, independence, integrity, collaboration, continuous improvement and safety excellence.

This new strategic plan is focused on a set of oversight priorities that reflect the WMSC’s responsibilities, operational experience, and the evolving safety environment of the Metrorail system.

CEO Mayer: We worked at all levels of our organization to ensure that the plan aligns with the WMSC Compact that establishes our independent oversight and enforcement authority.

CEO Mayer: Staff discussed developing a strategic plan several years ago, but it was the commissioners’ encouragement and prompting that helped drive this project.

Chair Conklin: This plan reaffirms the WMSC’s commitment to independent, data-driven safety oversight, and our mission to advance the safety of the Metrorail system through independent oversight and effective enforcement.

Chair Conklin: As the WMSC’s first strategic plan, it establishes a clear foundation for aligning our regulatory responsibilities, organizational priorities, and long-term vision for safety oversight.

Chair Conklin: As the WMSC’s first strategic plan, it establishes a clear foundation for aligning our regulatory responsibilities, organizational priorities, and long-term vision for safety oversight.

Chair Conklin: The WMSC’s Strategic Plan outlines the organization’s mission, vision, core values, and strategic goals and objectives through 2030.

Reports Official Actions     Program Standard   Audits   Meetings   Annual Reports REPORTS Adopted in 2026 W-0411 Red Signal Overrun at West Falls Church Yard - February 14, 2025 - Download PDF W-0412 Improper Rail Vehicle Movement at Grosvenor-Strathmore

The reports of each investigation adopted today will be available on our website at https://wmsc.gov/oversight/reports/

Underlying causes included a lack of training and understanding of derailer procedures among both field personnel and control center staff, failure to follow established procedures for switch and derailer verification and reduced situational awareness during the movement.

The probable cause of this event was improper handling and positioning of the derailer, which resulted in the flatcar derailing during the movement.

W-0423 involves a derailment that occurred on June 9, 2025.

W-0423 involves a derailment that occurred on June 9, 2025.

W-0422 involves a collision that occurred on July 5, 2025 at approximately 10:11pm at Brookland-CUA Station when an individual intentionally entered the roadway on Track 2 as Train 142 approached the platform.

The probable cause of this event was the flagperson’s misjudgment of clearance while directing movement. The underlying cause was that Prime Mover 47 was not positioned fully clear of the track, creating a reduced clearance condition that contributed to the collision.

Investigation W-0421 involves a collision that occurred on July 1, 2025.

The probable cause of this event was smoke entering the station platform due to an arcing insulator. Underlying causes included delayed identification of the failed insulator during initial inspections. Operational challenges: poor radio communication during the response.

Investigation W-0420 involves an evacuation for life safety reasons that occurred on May 16, 2025.

The probable cause of this event was the Rail Vehicle Operator’s lack of situational awareness. Underlying causes included the operator’s failure to follow established procedures and not recognizing the signal location due to insufficient territory familiarization.

Investigation W-0419 involves a red signal overrun that occurred on April 20, 2025.

Next up: Safety Event Investigations

At this time, the WMSC does not have sufficient documentation to trace selected hazards from identification through verification, confirm how mitigation decisions are implemented in the design, or evaluate whether subject matter expert comments have been appropriately resolved.

The WMSC continues its oversight of WMATA's 8000-series railcar safety certification program, focused on whether the certification process is working.

WMATA is collecting post-implementation data for this software update in particular, in addition to providing the evidence for Metrorail’s purposes, this data will allow the WMSC to continue to evaluate whether mitigation measures are producing measurable improvement.