Metro suspended Blue Line service between Pentagon and Foggy Bottom stations Wednesday a day after a train partially derailed, forcing 200 people to evacuate through a dark tunnel.
Orange and Silver line trains were also single-tracking between Clarendon and Foggy Bottom early Wednesday because of a track problem at Rosslyn. It’s unclear if that problem is related to the derailment.
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There’s an ongoing investigation into the derailment, which occurred Tuesday afternoon between the Arlington Cemetery and Rosslyn stations, Metro said.
Commuters can use shuttle buses to travel to the impacted stations, Metro says. Shuttle buses were seen waiting for riders early Wednesday.
Blue Line trains were running between Franconia-Springfield and Mount Vernon Square only, Metro said. Riders can switch to another line to continue their trips.
Photos: Metro Train Derails, Passengers Wait to Be Rescued
About 200 people were headed away from D.C. toward Franconia-Springfield when the train derailed about 1,800 feet from the Arlington Cemetery station platform, Metro officials said. That meant passengers had to walk about six football fields in a dark tunnel to the station's exit.
Metro got word of a disabled train in the tunnel between the Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery stations just before 5 p.m. A Metro worker then discovered the train partially derailed, according to Metro.
Arlington paramedics took one person to a hospital. Fire officials said that person was stable but didn't provide any details about their condition or possible injuries.
No other injuries were reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board is set to coordinate with Metro officials in the investigation.
Metro said the rail car that derailed was a 7000-series.
"We definitely apologize for what occurred here this afternoon with our customers. It's a very, you know, terrifying incident and we definitely want to make sure that they're OK," Interim Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Anzallo said at a news conference after the derailment.
It wasn’t immediately clear when normal train service would resume.
Stay with News4 for updates to this developing story.
