Power problems at two Red Line stations snarled commutes for thousands of riders Wednesday morning, with residual delays continuing into mid-day.
Metro said Red Line riders should continue to expect delays up to 30 minutes in both directions. Trains are running at 35 mph while they try to figure out the source of the trouble.
Spokesperson Dan Stessel told NBC4's Darcy Spencer that Metro is investigating the possibility that the two incidents are connected.
The rough morning began with a third rail problem around 8 a.m. near the NoMa-Gallaudet station.
About 60 passengers had to leave the train and walk through the Brentwood rail yard to be bussed to other stations. Trains single-tracked between NoMa and Rhode Island Avenue/Brentwood for much of the morning after that.
The second incident began around 9 a.m. when 800-1,000 passengers got stuck aboard a packed eight-car train. That train lost power 750 feet outside the Tenleytown station.
Firefighters were preparing to evacuate them before authorities decided that an evacuation of that size would be difficult. They waited to see if power to the train could be restored, Stessel said.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The train started moving again around 10 a.m. without an evacuation, after some circuit breakers were found tripped in the Tenleytown tunnel and workers turned them back on.
However, that meant more single-tracking, this time between Friendship Heights and Van Ness.
"Well, obviously it's a challenge to get resources to both locations and handle two major incidents," said a spokesperson for D.C. Fire EMS. "We were able to mobilize all our personnel and handle both incidents."
Customers expressed their frustration on Twitter, sharing images of darkened trains and packed platforms.
"Fifty min to go 5 stops," @ameliasaletan tweeted.
"It's the new 'ten-minute rule,'" @freddoso responded.
After all that, customers still had to pay for their trips as they exited the stations.
"We recognize today was a rough morning for Red Line customers," Metro said on Twitter. "We are investigating the cause of the power issues."
