WASHINGTON – Expect significant delays on Metro’s Green and Yellow lines following a partial derailment near the West Hyattsville Metro station.
Prince George’s County Fire and EMS says the last three rail cars derailed Friday around 4:45 p.m. Fifty-five passengers were removed via the fan shaft exit at 29th Avenue and Ager Road.
The train was heading into the District.
Rail service has been suspended between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza. Metro says it has imposed a 35 mph speed restriction on trains operating in all above-ground territory.
Laura Purcell was vacationing in D.C. with her family for the Fourth of July. She said they were trying to get back to their hotel when they got stuck on a train because of the Yellow Line delays.
“There were some delays, so we had to wait for the train,” she said.
Purcell’s family found out about the derailment and delays once they had boarded a yellow line train.
“We were trapped in a train for awhile,” Purcell said. “It was crowded with the kids, which of course, they didn’t want to have to be standing there.”
The train she and her family were on became hot because people were packed shoulder-to-shoulder inside of it.
“We bought the week-long metro pass because it seems like an easy convenient way to get from one place to another, but there’ve been a couple of delays on our trips,” she said.
WTOP’s Max Smith tweeted part of his interview with Dan Stessel, chief spokesman for WMATA. Stessel tells WTOP the heat will be examined as a possible cause of the partial derailment.
RT @hhowardWTOP: METRO DERAIL: @WTOP Talking to spokesman about partial derail on Green/Yellow line near West Hyattsville at 6:21.
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) July 6, 2012
Metro on @WTOP: No rptd injuries. All 55 passgrs evac. One pregnant woman to hospital as precaution. Green Line susp Ft Totten to PG Plaza
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) July 6, 2012
Metro on @WTOP: Delays on all lines now bc of heat restrictions.All cars remained upright in this derailment which was in tunnel section
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) July 6, 2012
Metro on @WTOP: We don’t know cause of incident yet. Advise customers on all lines tonight to allow extra travel time. Incl going to #Nats
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) July 6, 2012
Metro on @WTOP: Track work is canceled this weekend so personnel can focus on derailment response.
— Max Smith (@amaxsmith) July 6, 2012
Follow WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
