Tunnel fire causes damage, disrupts Metro service

An early-morning cable fire in the tunnel near the McPherson Square station caused service disruptions and major delays on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines on Monday.

Metro said the fire was reported at around 4:30 a.m. Monday and caused damage to the rail bed. The fire department cleared the scene at around 6 a.m., but it caused delays between 30 minutes to an hour for passengers during the morning rush.

As a result of the damage, all rail service between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle has been suspended in both directions for repairs starting at 9 p.m. Monday. Shuttle service is being provided for affected stations. Metro hopes to restore service at these stations by Tuesday morning.

Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Paul J. Wiedefeld released a statement on what happened Monday morning and what riders should expect.

"The fire damaged several cables that will need to be replaced tonight in order to restore full service for tomorrow. Single tracking will continue throughout the day and will affect the evening commute. If you have the ability to consider alternate travel options today, I encourage you to do so," expressed Wiedefeld. "I have directed that repairs start at 9 p.m. tonight when ridership is lower. At that time, rail service will be suspended on both tracks between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle."

In the statement, Wiedefeld also apologized to riders for the inconvenience they experienced.