MARC train service restored after train crash with CSX maintenance truck
By WTOP Staff July 21, 2015 7:42 am
Brunswick
Line service has been restored after a MARC passenger train struck a
CSX maintenance vehicle in Montgomery County Monday afternoon.
MARC Tuesday morning restored train service on the Brunswick Line after service was halted Monday afternoon when a passenger train struck a maintenance vehicle, but the commuter line has been experiencing delays Tuesday.
MARC says Train 876 is operating 15 minutes late because of a lot of passengers. Train 892 is on time. MARC had advised riders to take Train 876 because Train 874 had one less railcar.
Some of MARC’s trains only have one conductor because of a short-staffing issue that occurred after Monday’s crash.
Service to Brunswick was halted Monday afternoon and evening after a MARC passenger train struck one of its own maintenance vehicles in Montgomery County.
The MARC train struck the CSX maintenance vehicle around 4:45 p.m. near the intersection of Seminary Road and Forest Glen Road in Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County police.
The maintenance vehicle is one that has the ability to drive on the rails. The truck driver was moving the vehicle on to the tracks when the train collided with it.
Police say there were more than 600 people on board when the crash occurred. One person on the train sustained a minor injury. The truck driver refused treatment at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
“It was a disaster, a complete nightmare,” said Crystal James of Martinsburg, West Virginia. She says she felt a slight jerk, then the train stopped.
James says passengers wanted to get off the train, but the crew told them gas had spilled and that they should stay on-board.
Hazmat crews were working to clean up diesel fuel spilled at the scene, which police say caused extended road closures on Seminary Road.
“On my car, it was very light and lively,” said Stacey Walker from Rockville, Maryland. She said as they waited for three hours on board, passengers talked and told jokes to pass the time. Walker says emergency crews did a great job helping passengers get from the accident train to a second one, which took them to their final destinations.
The MTA says all Brunswick Line trains will operate as scheduled Tuesday. However, some trains will have just one conductor, which could lead to slower than usual boarding.