WTOP.com: “The findings of the latest publicly available Federal Transit Administration inspection reports include dark tunnels, risks to workers, train operators failing to follow safety rules before opening doors, and Metro’s own compliance inspectors being unable to verify fixes. Federal inspectors found two stretches of consecutive loose fasteners on the Orange Line near Deanwood Jan. 10. Inspectors said the condition met Metro’s criteria for the most serious maintenance problems, known as a “black condition,” but neither area was protected with a speed restriction for passing trains. The Metro and contract inspectors deemed it to be a maintenance condition that needed to be addressed, but not a safety issue. On the Red Line between Tenleytown and Bethesda Feb. 12, inspectors found six consecutive failing fasteners within 15 feet and four consecutive defective fasteners in another spot. Because there were no signs of the rail sliding back and forth yet, a Metro inspector also deemed those maintenance conditions. Metro inspectors made a similar decision Feb. 8 on the Red Line between Gallery Place and Judiciary Square, even though the rails were sliding about half an inch when a train was on them…”