Washington subway cars under scrutiny after derailment that injured 20 people

Tuesday, January 9th 2007, 6:16 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Federal investigators are examining records from four subway train derailments in the city since 2003 in an effort to determine what caused the latest accident, which injured 20 passengers.

A six-car Metro train was pulling into the Mount Vernon Square station, beneath the Washington Convention Center, on Sunday afternoon, when the fifth car slipped off the track. Witnesses described shattering glass and panicked passengers running through the train and screaming.

Twenty people were taken to the hospital, including one in serious condition and one pregnant woman.

The subway car was the same type involved in four Metro derailments since 2003. The cars are manufactured by Construcciones y Auxiliar Ferrocarriles S.A., based in Madrid, Spain.

Virginia Verdeja, vice president of sales for CAF USA in Washington, said Monday that the company is ``at the complete disposal of the investigators.''

Regarding the previous derailments, Verdeja said: ``Those were investigated and the cars were fine. There's nothing wrong with the cars.''

The company supplied 192 cars in the city's 950-car fleet.

Metro spokeswoman Joanne Ferreira confirmed that no design flaws were found in 2004 and said there are no plans to take the cars out of service now.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators planned to review the records of the previous derailments, agency member Kitty Higgins said.

Investigators examined the track Monday at the site of the derailment and brought in an expert from Chicago to assist them, she said.

The derailed car was still in the tunnel and will likely be taken out by Tuesday so that investigators can get a better look at it, Higgins said.

Investigators planned to interview the unidentified train operator on Tuesday, Higgins said. The operator was taken for routine drug and alcohol testing after the accident.