The stations most affected were NoMa-Gallaudet U, Rhode IslandAvenue-Brentwood, Van Ness-UDC, Tenleytown and Friendship Heights,but there were serious delays throughout the Red Line. The trouble began about 8 a.m. when a power problem near the RhodeIsland Avenue-Brentwood station halted a train heading to Glenmont.Trains began single-tracking between Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwoodand NoMa-Gallaudet U as emergency crews responded to the stalledtrain. Just as 60 or so passengers from that train were boarding shuttlebuses to Rhode Island Avenue, a similar power problem occurredabout 9 a.m. on the Red Line between Friendship Heights andTenleytown. An eight-car train carrying about 1,000 passengerstoward downtown became stuck near the Tenleytown-AU station. "All of a sudden, the lights went out, the AC wentoff," said Alcora Walden, a Germantown resident who wascommuting from Shady Grove to Metro Center. "It got reallyquiet. It felt like we were rolling, like it was momentum carryingus and not the train. Then we came to an abrupt stop." Metro said it is trying to determine what led to the powerfailures. After the problems began, Metro issued warnings of delays, urgingcommuters to avoid the Red Line -- the transit agency"sbusiest rail line -- and to consider using the Green Line orMetrobus instead. But for Walden and many other passengers already on trains withoutcellphone service, waiting in stations or unable to hear garbledannouncements from train operators, it was too late. As the morning progressed, the delays mounted. Riders at variousstations, from Fort Totten to Union Station to Friendship Heights,began posting photos and complaints on Twitter. "I"m looking at a 2-hour commute! Shout out to theerratic (yet I remain faithful) Red Line. Talk about a great way tokick [off] my day," tweeted rider Keyon Smith. Other riders abandoned public transportation altogether."I"m not the only one hoofing it. We"ve got [an]ex-red line riding convoy here walking to points east,"commuter Steven Schwark tweeted. Two of the riders from the train stuck near Rhode Island Avenuewere taken to a hospital as a precaution, according to BattalionChief Brian Lee, a D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman. A few otherpassengers were evaluated at the scene, and the rest weretransferred to shuttle buses and taken to the Rhode IslandAvenue-Brentwood stop. The passengers who were stuck near Tenleytown were stranded fornearly an hour as Metro officials and emergency crews weighedwhether to evacuate the passengers through the tunnel. Metro crews dispatched to check on the power got stuck in traffic,adding to the delays. Vasanth Sridharan, a paralegal commuting from Rockville to MetroCenter, said the train was stopping frequently before it stallednear Tenleytown. "At one point, they said they were going to evacuate, butthen they told us not to leave because they didn"t know ifthe third rail was live," said Sridharan, 27. Then the powercame back on, and the train continued on its way. "Anyone who rides Metro every day is going to have delaysevery now and then, but this was a little different," hesaid. Police officers walked through the tunnels and checked onpassengers to see whether anyone needed medical assistance. Walden, who normally takes a MARC train, chose Metro on Wednesdaybecause of severe delays on MARC"s Brunswick Line. She was ready to be on her way.She stuffed all her belongings into her backpack, tied hershoelaces "extra tight,"and pulled out the flashlightand pocketknife she carries with her. But before anyone stepped into the narrow tunnel, the lights beganto flicker, followed by a blast from the air conditioning and whatWalden described as "a herky-jerky start." Power was restored to the train shortly after 10 a.m., and thetrain moved to the Tenleytown station. According to Metro TransitPolice Deputy Chief Leslie Campbell, about 20 to 30 people chose toget off the train at that point, including a woman who Campbellsaid became ill. She was taken to Georgetown Hospital forevaluation. Walden, still several miles from her destination, chose to get offthe train. She said there was confusion at Tenleytown, where nearbystreets had been closed and traffic was a mess. She walked part ofthe way before catching a cab downtown. Delays persisted after the second train moved, with trains runningat reduced speeds of 35 mph as a precaution. China LED Flat Panel Lights is a suitable choice for enterprises that want to do business online, we provides low price and fine commodities such as China LED Flat Panel Lights, and many other products, just visit it ! The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China LED Flat Panel Lights , Dimmable LED Downlights Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit LED Flat Panel Lights today!
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