Metro News Release
For immediate release: June 24, 2009
Wednesday Red Line service altered as a result of Monday collision
Red Line riders should add additional travel time for their Wednesday commute
FAQs related to train accident
Red Line service will continue to be impacted on Wednesday, June 24, as a result of a fatal collision on the Red Line on Monday, June 22, between the Fort Totten and Takoma Metrorail stations.
Red Line riders will have several options on Wednesday morning, however if they are able to avoid the Red Line, that may be the best option for Wednesday.
The Red Line will operate in two sections on Wednesday. Trains will run between the Glenmont and Silver Spring Metrorail stations and between the Shady Grove and Fort Totten Metrorail stations. All trains will be six- and eight-car trains on the Red Line, and they will be running about eight to 10 minutes apart. Trains are expected to be very crowded. The Takoma Metrorail station will remain closed to Red Line traffic. The Green and Yellow lines will operate normal service through Fort Totten Metrorail station.
Free Metrobus shuttles will be available to take customers around the incident between the Silver Spring, Fort Totten and Takoma Metrorail stations. Metro also will provide shuttle buses and its regular Metrobus routes 70/71 and 79 (Georgia Avenue) service from the Georgia Ave-Petworth and Silver Spring Metrorail stations. People can expect long waits for buses as a full Metrorail train often carries 100 people or more per car and a bus can only hold about 50 people at a time.
Metro officials recommend that customers who normally use the Red Line between the Glenmont and Silver Spring Metrorail stations should commute to Metrorail stations between the Shady Grove and Grosvenor-Strathmore Metrorail stations, or to use the following Metrobus lines to avoid the service disruption:
• Metrobus C8 line (Glenmont to White Flint)
• Metrobus Q2 line (Wheaton to Rockville)
• Metrobus C2, C4 line (Wheaton to Twinbrook)
• Metrobus J1 line (Silver Spring to Medical Center)
• Metrobus J2, J3, J4 line (Silver Spring to Bethesda)
• Metrobus L7, L8 line (Friendship Heights)
Metro has doubled its bus service on the limited-stop S9 and 79 (16th Street, NW, and Georgia Avenue) lines.
Metro officials recommend that people use the Green and Yellow lines as they are operating normal service between the Greenbelt and Branch Ave and Fort Totten and Huntington Metrorail stations.
Metro safety and operations officials are working hand-in-hand with the National Transportation Safety Board investigating the cause of the accident.
“This is an incredible tragedy and our hearts go out to the families of those who suffered fatalities and to those whose loved ones are injured,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe. “We are committed to investigating this accident until we determine why this happened and what must be done to ensure it never happens again.”
Metro officials do not know the cause of the 5 p.m. Monday collision and are not likely to know the cause for several weeks or months as the investigation unfolds. According to preliminary reports, two Red Line trains were on the same track headed toward Shady Grove Metrorail station when train 112 collided with train 214.
Train operator Jeanice McMillan, who was operating train 112, died as result of the collision. Officials have confirmed that at least eight passengers also died in the accident. McMillan, 42, of Springfield, Va., had been a Metro employee since January 2007.
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Media contact for this news release: 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.
News release issued at 4:51 am, June 24, 2009.