ARLINGTON, Va. - A Metro train got stuck in a tunnel near the Rosslyn station on Thursday afternoon, leaving between 100 to 200 people aboard trapped for over an hour. The transit agency said everyone on board was able to get off the 7000-series Blue Line train safely.
It is unknown what caused the train to apparently lose power. Metro spokesperson Sherri Ly told FOX 5 that all passengers were eventually offloaded at the Rosslyn station. No one was injured.
To get the passengers off the train, another train came and tried to push out the disabled cars. Metro tried a second rescue attempted as one train backed up to the disabled one and hauled it out of the tunnel. Passengers had to walk through two trains and onto the platform at the Rosslyn station.
The disabled train was then towed away from the station.
Trains were single tracking between Foggy Bottom and Arlington Cemetery as a result, but resumed normal service shortly after 3:30 p.m. Thursday. However, riders should expect residual delays on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines, Metro says.
One Twitter user who wished to remain anonymous tweeted photos and videos from inside the train, first reporting at 2:03 p.m. that the train was stuck and appeared to have lost power. At 3:13 p.m. the user tweeted that they had been rescued from the stalled train.
"We came to a halt underneath the river and we were on the upslope coming into Rosslyn," said one passenger onboard the train. "The train came to a halt and then it jerked forward and backward several times over the course of 12 to 15 minutes. The driver kept on telling us that we were going to be moving shortly, and then finally, he said there was a train approaching from the rear."
"It was scary," said another train passenger. "Just sitting under the tunnel with nothing - no service, you can't call nobody or nothing. Metro needs to get themselves together."
A female passenger on the disabled train told us she will no longer use Metro after this incident.
"Say no to Metro," she said. "I haven't done it in a while and to be on a brand new car - no … I got better ways to go. I've got two feet. I trust those better than I do Metro."
Thursday's incident comes just one day following a contentious congressional hearing between lawmakers and Metro's board chairman and general manager discussing the recent safety issues for the transit agency as well as federal funding for Metro.