Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 4, 2009

Service returns to normal on Orange, Blue Lines

Track equipment derailed shortly before system opened

Service returned to normal at about 9:20 a.m. today following a major disruption on the Orange and Blue Lines due to a piece of track equipment that derailed shortly before the rail system’s 5 a.m. opening near the Cheverly Metrorail station. The incident damaged several hundred feet of the outbound track.

The equipment was involved in routine overnight track maintenance between the Potomac Avenue and Stadium-Armory Metrorail stations. It was returning to the New Carrollton Rail Yard when the front wheels came off the tracks. There were no injuries to the three employees on board.

Trains were single-tracking (sharing one track) between the Cheverly and Stadium-Armory Metrorail stations until the repairs were complete. There was extensive damage to the tracks, including the electrified third rail, which is the rail that provides the electricity to power the trains.

News release issued at 9:41 am, March 4, 2009.