ARLINGTON (Virginia, US), Oct 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A metro train partially derailed near Arlington Cemetery on Tuesday, and hundreds of passengers were evacuated to the Arlington Cemetery station by walking along the train tracks.
The incident occurred about 4.50 p.m when Metro rail controllers received a report of a disabled Blue Line train in the tunnel between the Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery stations in Northern Virginia.
Metro officials said the train, Metro’s latest models, partially slipped off the tracks.
Metro officials said that 300 to 400 passengers were on the train and that 187 passengers had been evacuated, with one person taken to a hospital as a precaution, in connection with issues related to anxiety.
As a result of the derailment, Metrorail service between Rosslyn and Pentagon stations will remain suspended on Wednesday.
Photos and video from inside the derailed train showed passengers sitting in the dark with glowsticks illuminating the aisles before being evacuated.
Rescue crews finally cleared the scene about 8 p.m., the Arlington County Fire Department said on Twitter.
The train headed away from D.C. toward Franconia-Springfield when it derailed about 1,800 feet from the Arlington Cemetery station platform, Metro officials said. That meant passengers had to walk about six football fields in a dark tunnel to the station’s exit.
There are no reports of injuries at this time, Metro said.
Numerous fire trucks were set up outside the station and ambulances were arriving to help with any potential injuries.
Crews from the Arlington County Fire Department escorted the passengers to the platform at the Arlington Cemetary Station. Buses picked up the customers from there.
The cause of the derailment remains under investigation.
Per a Metro performance report in 2020, there were five derailments in 2020, two in 2019 and 11 in 2018. — NNN-AGENCIES
