Top Democrat Cautious About Blaming Lack of Government Funds for Deadly Metro Crash

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer expressed caution Tuesday over suggesting that a lack of federal money was to blame for Monday's fatal metro crash in Washington, D.C., that killed at least nine.

"I want to wait because before jumping to the conclusion that this was 'due to' a lack of money," Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters.

Washington, D.C.'s worst Metrorail collision occurred at the height of the evening rush hour Monday when one train heading into D.C. from Maryland slammed into the back of another.

Officials investigating the crash are eyeing whether the failure to upgrade old trains with key recording devices designed to prevent such collisions contributed to the crash.

The train that triggered the accident wasn't equipped with the recorders, said National Transportation Safety Board member Debbie Hersman. It was part of an old "thousand-series" fleet that was not outfitted with the technology, Hersman said in a news conference Tuesday.

The NTSB had previously recommended that all trains have the recorders installed.

Hoyer -- who represents a district that borders the city and where the Metrorail system operates -- is one of the strongest advocates for federal funding of Washington's mass-transit system. He said it's too early to conclude that a lack of money for needed repairs was to blame.

"We don't know if it was human error, computer error, equipment error, failure. We do know it was tragic," said Hoyer, who called for lawmakers from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia to meet with Metro officials in the coming weeks.

"With Metro cars crowded with regional residents and dominated by federal employees, Congress had the ultimate wake-up call yesterday," D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said in a press release Tuesday.

Norton, who is chairwoman of one of the transportation and infrastructure subcommittees, blasted members of Congress, saying the "time to act is overdue."

"Our work to authorize $1.5 billion for Metro came after compelling testimony that the maintenance problems of the system have fallen into the danger zone," Norton said. "The only appropriate response is to begin to eliminate the crash-unworthy cars with this year's appropriations."

FOX News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.