Some Metro Riders Uneasy After Rosslyn Derailment

Some riders say derailment is example of what's wrong with the aging system

Normal service on the blue and orange line has been restored after a Tuesday night derailment snarled commutes in Northern Virginia.

But some Metro riders in Rosslyn said Wednesday they still feel affected by the derailment.

"I am apprehensive today about getting back on the train," said Metro rider Bridgette Gales-Carr. "I really am, because of the derailment. I don't think it should have happened in the first place.... I don't think there should have been a cause for a derailment [with] as much track work as they do."

The incident occurred when a Franconia Springfield-bound train derailed as it tried to leave the Rosslyn station shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday. That caused delays, as crowded trains single-tracked through the station, which serves both the Blue and Orange Lines.

Crews worked all night making repairs, re-railing the front wheels of the train and removed the train from the track. They tested the track and switch equipment.

Metro is still investigating the cause of the derailment.

Whether it was aging equipment, human error or something else, Caroline Lukas, manager of Metro Media Relations, declined to pinpoint a cause Wednesday,

"That's all going to be a part of the investigation," she said. "At this time, it's too premature to be able to say definitively what the cause of it was. You can certainly expect that information to come out in the weeks ahead."

Metro is calling it a minor derailment because there were no injuries and they were able to quickly offload 1,000 passengers because only two of the train's six cars were inside the tunnel.

Some Metro riders say the derailment is another example of what's wrong with the aging rail system.

"I ride Metro frequently and I find it to be reliable on occasion," said Metro rider Angela Pledger. "But the consistency is not there and the prices are exorbitant."

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