Alejandro Alvarez | aalvarez@wtop.com Ivy Lyon | ilyons@wtop.com
Metrorail announced on Monday that after continuing to investigate the Blue Line derailment that occurred last week, after more than half of its railway fleet has ceased service, it will cease service at least until Sunday, October 24. It urges commuters to consider Metrobus and other transportation alternatives.
Metro stated that its 7000 series-about 60% of the MRT system's rail vehicle fleet-will be discontinued during the investigation.
It stated that starting from Tuesday, trains on the red line will run every 15 minutes, and all other lines will continue to run every 30 minutes. Silver Line trains will only run between Wiehle-Reston East and Federal Center SW stations.
Metro said it is also working to address concerns about crowded trains and platforms during the pandemic.
The news of the extended delays came in the morning after hours of interruption of complex commuting services.
Taking the red line to downtown Washington, Luke Lukert of WTOP talked to frustrated residents who were unaware of the delay.
Washington, D.C. resident Terence Ford said after the night shift in Tenleytown: "I have to go home to get my son up to go to school, so I have to hurry home." "If you have to wait for half an hour, then wait. They are. Never on time. Once."
Some passengers hoping to start commuting at the subway station early on Monday encountered waiting times of 30 minutes or more. On the red line to Glenmont, the board of Friendship Heights has no arrival time at all, and only displays "DLY" during the morning rush hour.
"I should have been somewhere, I'm going to be late," another commuter said. "I usually receive some kind of email, but I haven't seen any news about this morning."
The Washington Metro Safety Commission ordered the suspension of the 7000 series after inspectors discovered that the axles of a car that derailed near Arlington Cemetery on Tuesday were "not up to specifications" and determined that other cars of the same model were also defective.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators are working with Metro and the Safety Board’s own team to identify the incident, which resulted in approximately 200 passengers being trapped in a dark tunnel between Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery Station. Firefighters escorted a group of 25 people and walked 1,800 feet to the nearest platform.
Metro General Manager and CEO Paul Wiedfeld said in a report to employees: "We all urgently need to understand the reasons for the derailment."
WMSC asked Metro to develop a plan to detect and prevent 7000 series wheelbase abnormalities before they are brought back. Metro's 7000 series cars are the latest models in its fleet. They have been in service since 2015 and are assembled in the United States by the Japan-based Kawasaki Railway Motor Company.
Luke Lukert of WTO reports from the entire red line in northwest Washington, DC
Alejandro Alvarez joined the WTO in June 2018 as a digital reporter and editor. He is a writer and photojournalist focusing on politics, political activism and national affairs, and has recently provided multimedia contributions to Reuters, MSNBC and PBS.
Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to participate in conversations about this and other articles.
Send breaking news and daily headlines to your email inbox by registering here.
© 2021 WTO. all rights reserved. This website is not suitable for users located in the European Economic Area.
Need help accessing FCC public documents due to a disability? Please contact Kris Shuldes at kshuldes@hbi.com or 651-642-4336.
Copyright © 2021 WTO. all rights reserved. This website is not suitable for users located in the European Economic Area.