Blue, Yellow Line delays caused by cracked rail
Many Metro riders are hoping for a smoother ride this morning after the frigid cold temperatures caused several problems on Wednesday.
Yesterday, the Blue, Yellow and Red Line trains were moving on both tracks after cracked rails caused major delays in several areas of the system.
Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said on Twitter that the suddenly changing temperatures caused a fault in a track rail near the Pentagon station.
Yellow Line trains were forced to single-track in the area between Pentagon City and L'Enfant Plaza while repairs were made. The track was reopened in both directions at about 10:15 a.m.
Blue Line trains were impacted by the delay because they share a tunnel with the Yellow Line at Pentagon City and Pentagon. The Blue Line ran normally in all other areas.
ABC7's Brianne Carter observed frustrated riders at Pentagon City, unable to get onto a train, leaving the station and hailing cabs due to the delays.
Another cracked rail near the Takoma station caused single-tracking between Fort Totten and Takoma. That issue has since been resolved.
Stessel says that the cracks "aren't too surprising" and that it's something Metro has seen before when temperatures swing drastically. The sudden change in temperature causes metal rails to expand and contract, and sometimes, that movement creates faults.
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