Smoke Halts Metrorail Service Temporarily In Arlington

COURTHOUSE, VA — Service on the Orange, Silver, and Blue lines of the Metrorail between stations in Arlington and Washington, D.C. resumed Wednesday afternoon after smoke halted rail service for several hours.

Units from the Arlington County Fire Department responded around 10:48 a.m., for reports of smoke in the tunnel at the Courthouse Metro Station in Arlington.

"Units found minor smoke condtions in the tunnels, not at the platform where passengers queue. There was an electrical odor," a ACFD spokesman said, in an email.

Units from the Alexandria and Fort Myer fire departments provided assistance to ACFD. They also received help from the Arlington and Metro police departments.

The cause of the smoke remains under investigation, according to the ACFD spokesman. There was no fire and no water or extinguishing agents were needed. No injuries were reported for civilians or firefighters.

Train movement was halted on the Orange and Silver lines for several hours between Clarendon and Foggy Bottom stations. Service was also suspended on the Blue Line between the Arlington Cemetery and Foggy Bottom stations. Train passengers were shuttled between stations by Metrobus.

By 12:05 p.m., the scene was stabilized and most ACFD crews had returned to service, according to posts on ACFD's Twitter account. Some emergency personnel remained on the scene and assisted Metro officials in inspecting the tracks.

A faulty insulator was identified as the cause of the smoke and it was removed, according to a Metro spokeswoman.

Service was restored around 1:25 p.m. between Clarendon and Foggy Bottom, and between Arlington Cemetery and Foggy Bottom, according to a Metro spokeswoman. By 2:50 p.m., normal service was reopened outside the Courthouse Metro Station.

Photos from the scene at Courthouse Metro. Crews are continuing to work with @wmata to ensure smoke is clear. pic.twitter.com/3IQYts25qn
— Arlington Fire (@ArlingtonVaFD) September 9, 2020