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Metro says a disabled train that had been traveling aboveground between the Stadium-Armory and Minnesota Avenue stations when it became stuck on Monday morning has been removed from the tracks.
SV/OR/BL Line has returned to normal service. Expect residual delays following earlier train malfunction outside Stadium Armory 149p #wmata
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) May 9, 2016
According to the transit agency, a “small fire” caused the malfunction, resulting in rush-hour delays and single-tracking along the Orange, Blue, and Silver lines. A Metro spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment on what might have caused the fire, but the train had not been carrying passengers.
Disabled @wmata train still stopped on tracks along Benning Rd. Another track fire. Happy Monday. @fox5dcpic.twitter.com/tbggTdNXlf
— Melanie Alnwick (@fox5melanie) May 9, 2016
Right now – work continues on stuck train between Stadium-Armory/Minn Ave #wmata @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/OrE9Y7eHYb
— Adam Tuss (@AdamTuss) May 9, 2016
On Friday, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld released his plan to ameliorate the rail system. It calls for continuous single tracking and closures across 15 locations, staggered throughout the next year.
Update 7:05 p.m.: Metro spokesperson Dan Stessel said the preliminary cause of the incident “appears to be the test train making undesired contact with third-rail infrastructure” that contractors had worked on over the weekend, leading the non-passenger train to become disabled. “The investigation now turns to the contractor’s quality control processes and the supervisors responsible for ensuring that the track is ready for train movement,” he added.
Photo by Darrow Montgomery