Power issues resulted in the evacuation of two Red Line trains Wednesday, making for a frustrating morning commute.
The first train stopped moving at 8 a.m. around the NoMa-Gallaudet U (New York Ave) station, and 63 passengers were offloaded outside the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood station, Cathy Asato, a WMATA spokesperson, said. The D.C. Fire Fighters Association said on Twitter that two people needed medical evaluation.
The second power malfunction occurred before 9 a.m. between the Van Ness-UDC and Tenleytown-AU stations, where passengers were stuck for an hour, Ms. Asato said. The fire union said approximately 1,000 people were required to evacuate when the train reached the Tenleytown-AU station.
Metro issued a statement of its own on Twitter.
“We recognize today was a rough morning for Red Line customers,” they said. “We are investigating the cause of the power issues. Thank you.”
Passengers took to Twitter to express their frustration with the delays.
One passenger wrote that Metro “is the most expensive, yet inefficient transit system in America. The absolute worst.”
Another passenger wrote, “Literally 100 yards from noma and they’re sending us back to union station to take a bus! Let me out, I’ll walk!”
Ms. Asato said the Red Line is the oldest of Metro’s train lines and is undergoing major rehabilitation.
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