DC subway officials to address safety lapses on Capitol Hill

(AP) – Congress is set to ask questions about the safety of the Washington area’s subway system after an unprecedented daylong shutdown.

The Metro system’s general manager and other officials will answer questions from two House oversight subcommittees at a hearing Wednesday afternoon.
    
In prepared testimony, Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld says he’s found “systemic issues with regard to track, power and car maintenance” that need to be addressed.
    
Wiedefeld decided to shut down the system for emergency track inspections last month after an electrical fire that was similar to a fire that killed a passenger last year.
    
Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican who chairs one of the subcommittees, says in his prepared remarks that Metro “has become synonymous with poor service, delays and rampant safety concerns.”