Last October, when a record weekend crowd swarmed the Metrorail during the comedian Jon Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” on the mall, several people were injured when an escalator at the L’Enfant Plaza Station suddenly sped up before jerking to a halt, throwing dozens of people into a pileup at the bottom of the stairs. Metrorail said worn brake pads and an oil leak — worsened by a surge in riders — caused the accident. Metrorail has since reviewed all escalators for brake deficiencies.
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