Metro News Release

For immediate release: April 8, 2007

Waterfront-SEU Metrorail station reopens after smoke clears

The Waterfront-SEU Metrorail station was closed for about 2 ½ hours Sunday, April 8, after a small fire in the motor of a railcar caused smoke to fill the station. There were no injuries and the station reopened after the smoke was cleared.

A Metro employee reported a loud noise aboard a six-car Green Line train (train 502) as it left L’Enfant Plaza headed toward Waterfront-SEU Metrorail station at about 10:10 a.m. The train operator told passengers to exit the train when it pulled into the Waterfront station so that he could take the train out of service. As the train pulled into the station, there was another loud noise followed by smoke coming from the motor of the last car of the train (rail car number 6017).

The station manager evacuated the station because of the smoke. Everyone was able to exit safely.

A free shuttle bus was already on hand at Waterfront-SEU station to move passengers to the Navy Yard station. The shuttle bus was at the station because the station’s elevator is undergoing repair work and the shuttle was for use by customers who needed to enter the Metrorail system from a station with an operating elevator. Additional free shuttle bus service was also established to move customers around the closure.

The District of Columbia Fire Department responded to the scene. The fire did not penetrate the floor of the railcar, although there was smoke in the car and station. The train was taken to a rail yard for investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

The station closed at 10:10 a.m. and reopened at 12:36 p.m.

The railcar, manufactured by Alstom, is one of Metro’s newest cars in the fleet of about 950 cars.

News release issued at 12:00 am, April 8, 2007.