Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 20, 2004

Metro provides update on this morning’s incident at the Mount Vernon Sq/7th St Convention Center Metrorail station

Ankle-deep water inside the Mount Vernon Sq/7th St. Convention Center Metrorail station mezzanine level this morning forced Metro officials to temporarily shutdown the station from opening (5 a.m.) to 7:15 a.m. While trains continued to operate through the station without receiving and discharging customers, Metro provided seven free shuttle buses, transporting 84 customers between the Shaw-Howard U and the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail stations until 7:15 a.m. Metro officials also placed customers on the Metrobus routes 70 and 71 which also provided free service to Gallery Place-Chinatown, Archives Navy Memorial, and the L" " Enfant Plaza Metrorail stations.

During the overnight hours, contractors working on the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St. Convention Center station were conducting preventive maintenance. While doing this work, there was a decrease in power in the station. The decrease in power activated the sprinkler system, which is located underneath the street entrance escalator leading to the mezzanine level of the station, causing the high water.

An alarm in the operations control center alerted personnel of a problem at 1 a.m., as intended. However, it is possible that an individual failed to follow up according to procedures. Management is conducting an investigation at this time. The first personnel to report the water conditions occurred at 4:30 a.m.

As a safety precaution, it was necessary to keep the station entrance closed while Metro staff drained the water from the station.

"This situation should not have developed the way it did. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by this morning’s situation," said Steven Feil, Metro’s Chief Operating Officer for Rail.

News release issued on October 20, 2004.