Americas News

Washington Metro System to Shut Down Entirely on Wednesday

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said the entire rail system will shut down on Wednesday to allow safety checks on underground power cables

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager Paul Wiedefeld is scheduled to announce that the entire rail system will be shut down on Wednesday. The shutdown is to allow crews to check more than 600 underground power cables throughout the system for safety problems.

The power cables being inspected were named as a cause of the system’s fire on Monday which restricted service to a number of high-traffic stations for the entire day. The cables were also pinpointed as the cause of a fatal fire Jan 2015 which resulted in the death of one passenger.

Washington’s public schools system will be open on Wednesday although tardies and absences will be excused for students with transportation issues.

[Developing]

(Image: NTSB/January 2015 L’Enfant Plaza electrical fire)

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