Metro News Release

For immediate release: February 19, 2009

Vacuum truck equipment derails again on Orange Line

Orange Line riders can expect delays this afternoon

Orange Line riders can expect major delays during afternoon rush hour as trains are single-tracking (taking turns sharing one track) between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations due to a piece of equipment that derailed for a second time today.

At approximately 1:56 p.m., the vacuum truck, which was being pulled by another piece of track equipment, derailed outside the East Falls Church Metrorail station. The truck was en route to the West Falls Church rail yard after it derailed at the Court House Metrorail station earlier this morning.

Before Metro opened this morning, the vacuum truck was headed to the West Falls Church rail yard after completing routine overnight maintenance when one wheel popped off the tracks at the Court House Metrorail station. As a result, Orange and Blue Line customers experienced delays of 40 minutes or longer as trains shared one track between the Clarendon and Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail stations. Blue Line riders also experienced delays between the Arlington Cemetery and Farragut West Metrorail stations waiting for Orange Line trains to clear the single track location.

As a result of the early-morning derailment, several track components that were damaged needed to be repaired. Service resumed on both tracks between the Clarendon and Foggy Bottom-GWU Metrorail stations nearly 9 hours later at 1:46 p.m. Track equipment began to tow the damaged vacuum truck to the West Falls Church rail yard shortly before 2 p.m., but it derailed for a second time 10 minutes later at the East Falls Church Metrorail station.

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News release issued at 4:12 pm, February 19, 2009.