. @Metrorailinfo@wmata
Was there a chemical event at Gallery Pl-Chinatown this afternoon around 3:00?
If so why has there been no press release & was @dcfireems notified and station fans placed in exhaust mode and why wasn’t the station evacuated/bypassed
@MetrorailSafety
FYI: The reason behind Metro reducing service starting 8/8 outbound of 🟢 Georgia Av including single tracking from 🟢 Hyattsville Crossing <> 🟢 College Park is two rail kinks on the outbound track at either end of the bridge crossing CSX. Same area as the 7/4/26 derailment
Orange/Blue/Silver Line: Trains bypassing L’Enfant Plaza (Orange/Blue/Silver), Smithsonian, and Federal Triangle due to weather-related evacuation. Customers will use these stations to seek shelter.
BREAKING: Metro is now free to ride for the rest of the July 4 night. The gates opened a few minutes early at Smithsonian. You don’t need to tap at stations, just walk through! #wmata
Based off these photos the second car derailed, most likely the train derailed as it switched from ballasted track (gravel) which can move to direct fixation (concrete) which resists lateral movement so the wheels completely came off the rail.
UPDATE: We will continue single tracking on the Green Line between West Hyattsville Crossing and College Park through system close. Customers will experience minimal impacts to service.
Preliminary investigation shows extreme heat as the cause of a rail heat kink that derailed the wheels of a 3000-series 6-car train (pictured below). Crews will remove the train overnight to ensure the safety of our team and customers.
We have also reduced speeds to 35 mph on aboveground tracks systemwide in response to the elevated temperatures per our standard operating procedure.
We apologize for any inconvenience. Please stay hydrated and patient as you travel today.
@ssethers I have bills, and spending 3-4 hours for an event with reviewing radio traffic, train movements, pulling manuals and engineering plans eats into time I could be doing other tasks including time w/ my family.
Uhhhhh, I could’ve sworn that’s an emergency intercom to contact the operator…
Emergency Trip Stations are located every 800’ along the right of way (trackside) to bring down third rail power in an emergency.
Emergency crews are responding to a Metro Bus fire inside the 9th St tunnel in Downtown DC. No customers were on board at the time, and the operator was not injured. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and @dcfireems is working to extinguish the flames.