WASHINGTON — The L’Enfant Plaza Metro station has been evacuated and remains closed due to smoke in the station.
Delays are significant and riders are being treated for smoke inhalation on the scene. Dozens of people, if not more, have been transported to the hospital, two are in critical condition and one person has died. Metro Transit Police and D.C. Fire & EMS personnel continue to investigate the source of the smoke.
While Green and Yellow lines are primarily affected, there are delays on almost every line except for Red.
As of 5:40 p.m., Green and Yellow Line service has been restored at Gallery Place Station to and from stations toward Greenbelt. Service on those lines remains suspended between Gallery Place and Navy Yard/Pentagon.
Blue/Orange/Silver line trains won’t stop at L’Enfant Plaza.
Riders should consider alternate travel options, including Metrobus.
Metro's General Manager Richard Sarles says a woman who was on the train that filled with smoke has died. Two other people are in critical condition. More than 60 others were taken to local hospitals.
In a 7 p.m. news conference, Sarles says Metro hopes to restore limited Yellow and Green line service but its not clear when that could happen.
WTOP’s Megan Cloherty is on the scene outside L’Enfant Metro Station.
Cloherty reports that more than 50 people outside the station have health concerns and most of those evacuated from the station have black soot under their noses. Paramedics have set up around the area and are treating people on the scene. Dozens of others have been taken to the hospital, some in serious condition.
“Right now, it seems to be more of a health concern than anything,” reports Cloherty.
Atillah Moor Member since Sep 05th 2013 13825 posts
Mon Jan-12-15 09:52 PM
2. "It's run by short sighted jackasses " In response to Reply # 1
Don't even get me started on how unsafe the cars are. However, when compared to say the BART it seems like the best game in town. Shitty public transportation standards in this country.
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Everything looks like Oprah kissing Harvey Weinstein these days
4. "RE: Checking in, I'm good. Mister Thomasnumbers you good?" In response to Reply # 3
>I got that notification about a fire and said nah, booked a >car2go and took my ass home. > >I kept saying I should stop at a redline stop to save money, >but I'd be a fool getting on one of those trains just because >they're not delayed. > >As if the possibility of taking longer to get home should've >been my biggest concern. > >I don't know how I'm getting to work tomorrow.
You and me both. Well, I can take the bus there since it's not too far. It's across town, but still doable.
MrThomas43423 Member since Jul 03rd 2002 67613 posts
Tue Jan-13-15 09:12 AM
6. "good. i took advantage of that whole freezing rain/unscheduled telework" In response to Reply # 3
and when i read about this, i was glad i did. --------------------------------------- it's true what they say...people are strange, when you're strangers.
8. "DC's Metro is the most modern system I've rode on the east coast" In response to Reply # 5
Cleanest too. I've ridden Philadelphia, New York and Boston's systems as well, and DC's looks and feels futuristic compared to theirs. Trains seem like they are smooth rides too. Some of NYC's trains feel like that first part of the roller coaster when they are turning or changing elevation.
MrThomas43423 Member since Jul 03rd 2002 67613 posts
Tue Jan-13-15 09:16 AM
7. "things never uttered in the history of Metro:" In response to Reply # 0
>While Green and Yellow lines are primarily affected, there are >delays on almost every line except for Red. --------------------------------------- it's true what they say...people are strange, when you're strangers.
11. "We take Metro for granted" In response to Reply # 0
its really old, it was not created to handle the amount of ridership that it gets, and to be honest we're lucky it works as well as it does.
The federal government refuses to throw any dough at it, so DC, MD, & VA end up footing the bill which is why we end up paying damn near $6 one way each morning.
Saying all that, it took people 25 minutes to come get them outta the train and single file down the line back to l'enfant plaza. After they figured out the train could no longer move they should've evacuated immediately.
Sad day though, someone lost their lives just trying to get home.
14. "Updated trains are hitting the system soon though" In response to Reply # 13
I've seen a few of them, they work a bit differently and can't be connected with the older cars so you've got to have like 6-8 fresh ones at all times to run those.
They're talking historic closing of certain parts of the red line because of just how old the system is and how much they need to replace, not repair, but replace.
MrThomas43423 Member since Jul 03rd 2002 67613 posts
Tue Jan-13-15 11:22 AM
17. "you know what i wonder....how new are the trains compared to other citie..." In response to Reply # 14
cause NY's trains are old and shitty. Chicago's trains....old and shitty. i wonder how we rank compared to other major Metropolitan areas. i think the county as a whole needs a transit overhaul. --------------------------------------- it's true what they say...people are strange, when you're strangers.
MrThomas43423 Member since Jul 03rd 2002 67613 posts
Tue Jan-13-15 11:45 AM
22. "easily. which means its doable." In response to Reply # 18
but i have no idea of any newer or recent major train systems that have sprouted up over the past 20 years. if Atlanta does this right they could be at the forefront of what major US cities trains look like and can do. cause the fact we still don't have high speed trains is ridiculous. --------------------------------------- it's true what they say...people are strange, when you're strangers.
19. "Some passengers waited 40 minutes, in trains, while being threatened" In response to Reply # 11
With arrest if they tried to leave.
It's super old but they could do better. They don't allocate fixing problems in a seingly analytical way. They treat the day to day problems like firefighting.
I think metro takes it customer base for granted way more than the converse.
------ “There is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn.” -Albert Camus
Atillah Moor Member since Sep 05th 2013 13825 posts
Tue Jan-13-15 10:05 PM
26. "Man my blood boils just hearing that" In response to Reply # 19
They can arrest my ass thats fine. Those cars are death traps. You got busted ass speakers and operators who most of the time won't or can't enunciate for shit. They have the nerve to threaten with offloading the train if riders don't do what they say. I absolutely hate the way they run it. The damn arrival time signs barely work.
Could you imagine what would happen if there was a serious threat and the train stopped in a tunnel? It would be absolute chaos.
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Everything looks like Oprah kissing Harvey Weinstein these days
Atillah Moor Member since Sep 05th 2013 13825 posts
Wed Jan-14-15 11:05 AM
29. "I was thinking the same thing. " In response to Reply # 28 Wed Jan-14-15 11:06 AM by Atillah Moor
I might just start dealing with the cold. That or lease a car and pick up one these focus group side hustles to pat for it, but me and Metro are about to break up for real.
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Everything looks like Oprah kissing Harvey Weinstein these days
32. "Maybe because I ride the red line, but I don't find that to be true" In response to Reply # 26
I know in the past all of what you're saying was 100% true, but as of the last year or so the train operators say shit clearly, LOUDLY and are much more informative than they were in the past.
I've been on the trains when they threatened to off load, but I haven't heard that in years.
I think there's a liability thing that they're deathly afraid of that is hindering smart decisions in crisis.
I feel like everyone should know that the walls closest to the train have the walkways on them. If one person gets off the train and walks towards the station they just left they should be fine.
24. "regardless of the infrastructure of the system itself" In response to Reply # 11
a large number of incompetent people are involved with the day-to-day running of the system. It's really dumbfounding how terrible some of those employees are at their jobs.
30. "Why do y'all call the Metro "old" It was started in the 1960s" In response to Reply # 11 Wed Jan-14-15 11:26 AM by 8-bit
>its really old
NYC, Boston and Philly's systems all date from the late 1800s/early 1900s, with most of the infrastructure being completed before 1960.
Is this about the trains? They looked a little old, but not obsolete. The stations I visited were all spacious, clean and decently-lit compared to NYC or Philly. The time-to-arrival indicators were really nice. The only way we know a train is coming up here is by looking down the tracks to spot the light.
The main negative I saw was having to swipe twice to complete a ride. I can see how swiping when exiting can be a huge bottleneck during rush hour.
Edit: Another issue I had was customer service, or the lack thereof. I somehow screwed-up when using my card, and could not find anyone to help me with my problem. Ended up just hopping over those plastic things.
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