Metro News Release

For immediate release: December 6, 2004

Pentagon Metrorail station reopened

The Pentagon Metrorail station was closed for 2 hours and 12 minutes today when officials responded to the scene after a sensor alerted Metro officials of a possible chemical in the station. The station closed at 10:08 a.m. and reopened at 12:20 p.m. after extensive on-scene testing did not find the presence of anything harmful.

Two employees and no customers were inside the station at the time of the incident. Pentagon Police assisted in closing the station.

No trains were permitted through the station so a bus bridge was established to take customers around the incident. Buses picked up and discharged customers at L’Enfant Plaza, Pentagon City and Arlington Cemetery Metrorail stations to help them get around the incident.

The Pentagon Transit Center was also temporarily closed. Buses that usually pick up and discharge customers at the Pentagon Transit Center were instead doing so at the nearby Pentagon City Metrorail station.

The Pentagon Metrorail station typically serves about 15,000 people entering the station and 15,000 people exiting the station during an average weekday.

News release issued on December 6, 2004.