Metro riders who use one of the busiest stations in the system had to deal with more escalator failures Monday.
Two escalators at Dupont Station failed, one causing riders to fall, the other prompting calls to the fire department.
The problems started Monday morning when one of the escalators came to an abrupt stop, causing riders to stumble and fall. A Metro spokeswoman said the jolt was caused by an emergency stop that was triggered by a problem with a handrail. No injuries were reported.
Then at about 9 p.m., riders reported seeing smoke coming from one of the escalators. Firefighters responded and shut down the escalator. Metro said the escalator’s motor produced the smoke. No injuries were reported during that incident either.
A recent report shows that Metro escalators have been breaking down with more frequency, failing after about seven to eight days on average. Metro’s new GM Richard Sarles said he wants to put more focus on living up to maintenance standards.
