WMSC reports modifications to WMATA Roadway Worker Protection program; implementation still pending

The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission said it worked with WMATA this year to modify portions of the agency's Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) program aimed at protecting rail workers who work on or near the right-of-way.

Unidentified Speaker, presenting the WMSC's year-end safety update, said, "This RWP program is intended to protect Metro rail transit workers from the hazards they encounter on the roadway every single day." The speaker added that Metrorail has not yet begun operating under its newly approved RWP program and that the next step is implementation.

The WMSC said it will remain engaged and provide feedback as Metrorail carries out implementation steps. The commission framed the program as a safety policy intended to reduce worker exposure to roadway hazards through procedural and equipment changes. Specific modifications to the RWP were not enumerated in the update.

The WMSC did not provide a timetable for when Metrorail would begin operating under the revised RWP in the presented remarks. The commission's update emphasized ongoing oversight rather than a completed operational change.