After a Metro train derailed last week in Northern Virginia, nearly 200 riders were stuck on board for an hour-and-a-half and walked through a dark tunnel for the equivalent of six football fields. Some panicked riders called their families to say I love you, fearing the worst.
Metro said Wednesday that each rider who was stuck on the train will get a $21 system credit.
“Metro is working to reach out to customers that were on board the train that derailed last week and are providing a $21 SmarTrip credit,” the transit agency said in a statement to News4. “While it does not make up for their experience, we wanted to offer an apology along with this small gesture of appreciation.”
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It was unclear how Metro arrived at the $21 figure.
Federal safety investigators said Monday that Metro officials have been aware since 2017 of wheel assembly problems that appear to have caused the derailment on Oct. 12.
The equipment problems were found in 7000-series railcars, the newest in the system. Those railcars, which make up 60% of the fleet, were taken out of service late Sunday. Riders are waiting 30-40 minutes for trains on the Blue, Orange, Yellow, Green and Silver lines and 15-20 minutes on the Red Line.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
