"Made in Japan" unreliable? Derailed 3 times a day, more than half of the trains on the Washington Subway stopped running

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In the early morning of October 18, local time, the subway system in the Washington area of the United States suddenly announced the suspension of more than half of the trains, because there are problems with wheels and axles that can easily lead to derailment accidents.

U.S. Train Derailed, The Washington Post

Last week, a train on the Washington Metro Blue Line derailed near Arlington Cemetery Station and was confirmed to be linked to the design flaw. The Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority (WMATA) Safety Committee ordered the withdrawal of the entire "7000 Series" train. It is understood that the safety committee found a design flaw on the model, resulting in the train's wheels stretching too wide on the axle, which could easily trigger the derailment of the carriage.

Subsequently, the investigation found that the same line had derailed at least twice earlier in the same day, but the other two trains "re-entered the track" on their own and therefore did not attract attention.

The Washington subway system, the second busiest subway system in the United States, has severely delayed rush hour traffic due to the fact that trains are suspended for 60% of the entire line, and schools in Washington have also informed students to prepare for school and school.

It is reported that the "7000 series" train produced by Kawasaki in Japan is the latest train currently in operation in the Washington area, accounting for 60% of the total number of trains.

Salim Firth, director of the Urban Program at George Mason University's Mercatus Center, inspected 514 subway cars in the "7000 Series" and said the problem of axle failures on Washington subway trains has increased dramatically, from just two in 2017 to 39 this year.

Jennifer Hormandy, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Commission, said design flaws in subway trains may not be limited to Washington's transportation system.

"We are concerned about other transportation systems in the United States," Homandi suggested, adding that transportation operators across the Country need to check the safety of trains. (Comprehensive CCTV News, Jimu News)