WASHINGTON (AP) - A Metro official says trains will continue to be driven manually for several more years because the agency still needs to replace the type of safety modules that faltered in a 2009 crash that killed nine people and injured dozens more.

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Deputy General Manager Dave Kubicek tells The Washington Examiner that the only way to speed up the work is give Metro's work crews access to the tracks. Finishing the work faster would allow Metro to resume automatic service sooner, but would also mean more shutdowns like the one over Memorial Day weekend at four stations or fewer service hours.

The decision to drive in manual mode was made after a crash near the system's Fort Totten station, where one train was traveling in automatic mode and slammed into another.

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Information from: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com