Metro’s board on Thursday voted unanimously to replace the agency’s top watchdog without publicly commenting on the decision.

       The board’s vote not to renew inspector general Geoffrey Cherrington’s contract comes as Metro is heading into its sixth month of reduced rail service because of safety issues that are sidelining trains amid a federal investigation. Cherrington, tasked with uncovering corruption, fraud, waste and abuse within the agency, served in the post for five years before board members said in a resolution they would not renew his contract when it expires April 16.

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       During Thursday’s meeting, board members did not discuss the move or provide a statement. They named Deputy Inspector General Rene Febles, who runs the office’s investigations, as acting IG.

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       Metro spokeswoman Lynn Bowersox said the agency does not comment on personnel matters. Cherrington did not reply to a message Thursday.

       Metro expected to replace internal watchdog at end of five-year contract

       The lack of an explanation for replacing Cherrington — whose role is to unearth problems and create more transparency, accountability and public trust in the transit system — did not sit well with Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), who chairs a federal oversight committee that Metro reports to.

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       Connolly, who co-hosted a hearing last month to investigate Metro’s short- and long-term challenges, said the agency’s “crisis of confidence and public silence around the Inspector General has the potential to sow additional speculation and distrust.”

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       “I recognize the sensitivity of a personnel decision, but providing little notification and no justification for replacing an agency watchdog is no way to earn back public trust,” Connolly said in a statement. “Riders and stakeholders are entitled to transparency, especially when it comes to the Office tasked with providing independent oversight of the agency.”

       Over the past five years, the inspector general’s office has uncovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen funds as part of a long-running janitorial supply scam, and it exposed Metro Transit Police in 2021 for being unable to produce more than 1,600 case files for reported crimes over a seven-year period. Another 1,200 cases lacked proof they had been investigated, the IG’s report said.

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       In November, Cherrington launched a joint investigation with the U.S. Transportation Department’s inspector general aimed at finding out why problems with the agency’s 7000-series rail cars were not reported to the safety commission despite being found in routine inspections dating to 2017.

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       Metrorail has been saddled with long waits because of a train shortage stemming from the suspension of nearly 750 rail cars since Oct. 17. While investigating an October derailment, the National Transportation Safety Board uncovered the defect in Metro’s latest series of cars that pushed wheels apart and made trains more prone to derailment.

       Emergency inspections of the series found the problem in about 20 other cars. The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, Metrorail’s regulatory agency, has ordered the series suspended until Metro demonstrates it can safely operate the cars.

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       Transit officials say they have no plans to bring the cars back before next month while they search for solutions. The saga has frustrated riders and elected leaders, who have criticized Metro for a lack of information, including an indication of when regular service could return.

       Metro Transit Police can’t document whether officers investigated thousands of reported crimes, watchdog says

       While the NTSB’s broad and ongoing investigation is looking into the chain of information, investigators have remained mostly tight-lipped. Cherrington has provided the clearest public explanation about how knowledge of the systemic malfunction did not rise to Metro’s general manager, board or regulatory agency.

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       During the House hearing last month, Cherrington testified he had found no evidence Metro intentionally withheld information. He said technicians and Metro’s chief mechanical officer didn’t view the problem as a safety hazard or concern, and simply arranged repairs with the manufacturer. Metro’s warranty review process, he said, was disconnected from the agency’s safety department.

       Steep ridership losses will force changes to Metro service after pandemic, transit leaders say

       Metro Board Chairman Paul C. Smedberg said Thursday before the board vote that existing internal investigations will continue under Febles. Smedberg has not responded to requests for comment about Cherrington. The inspector general’s position reports to the board.

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       During his tenure, Cherrington has advocated for a stronger inspector general’s office with law enforcement privileges similar to offices in federal agencies. He pushed for more independence so investigators would not fear reprisals for pursuing items that board members might find objectionable.

       Metro proposes fare cuts to lure riders in budget that assumes slow return of passengers

       In other developments Thursday, the Metro board Finance Committee voted to move the agency’s proposed 2023 budget forward, setting the table for a final vote on March 24.

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       The proposed $2.2 billion operating budget is funded with nearly $1.2 billion in subsidies from Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, $375 million in revenue and $681 million in remaining federal coronavirus relief meant to cover lost revenue during the pandemic.

       Metrorail ridership has languished over the past two years, but the agency has seen a recent uptick. Trains are about 30 percent full compared with before the pandemic. The planned budget includes fare cuts and discounts intended to lure more riders, including $2 fares from 9:30 p.m. until close and discounts for weekly and monthly passes.

       Finance Committee members cut a proposed $5 bonus for every $25 spent on SmarTrip credits from the spending plan. Some members said it wouldn’t help low-income riders who might not be able to load that amount onto their cards at once. Committee chair and Loudoun County Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said the proposal was too expensive with Metro’s fare revenue problem.