1982 Washington Metro train derailment
The train being inspected after the derailment
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| Date | January 13, 1982 |
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| Time | 4:29 p.m. EST (21:29 UTC) |
| Location | Between Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations, Washington, D.C. |
| Country | United States |
| Rail line | Orange Line |
| Operator | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
| Type of incident | Train derailment |
| Cause | Operator error |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 () |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Injuries | 25 |
Coordinates: 38°54′07″N 77°01′55″W / 38.902°N 77.032°W
The 1982 Washington Metro train derailment was an incident involving a single Orange Line Washington Metro train during the afternoon rush hour of January 13, 1982, in Downtown Washington, D.C. in the United States. The train derailed as it was being backed up from an improperly closed rail switch between the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations, and caused the deaths of three passengers. Several survivors were trapped for hours, and 25 were injured. The incident was the first resulting in a fatality involving the Metro system and remained as the deadliest incident occurring in the system until the June 22, 2009 collision that resulted in nine fatalities.
The incident occurred only 30 minutes after an airplane disaster on the 14th Street bridge complex, a short distance to the south, taxing emergency responders and paralyzing transportation across the Washington metropolitan area.
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