Metro Rail service partially stopped in its tracks

07:52 PM CDT on Monday, April 25, 2005

By Doug Miller / 11 News

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HOUSTON -- Crews are expected to be working through the night to bring power back to Metro's light rail.

A tractor-trailer hit the overhead wires at Fannin and Loop 610 just before 11 a.m. Monday, interrupting service the rest of the day.

KHOU

It took crews about 5 hours to restore the power.

"A truck carrying a valve. And if you think of this as the flat bed of the truck, carrying a valve something like this, about two feet over the height restriction. And what it did is it caught that valve, caught the power lines that carry electricity for the Metro rail," said George Smalley, Metro spokesman.

That accident is what shut down the Metro rail line just south of the Astrodome.

Hours later, crews had repaired the northbound lines, but were still working on the southbound side Monday evening.

Metro rail service has been restored between Smith Lands and Fannin South stations. As of about 5 p.m., service between the two stations was by rail shuttle on the northbound tracks, so passengers should board going in both directions from northbound stations.

Metro crews will work overnight to restore power to the southbound tracks and are hoping to have it repaired by Tuesday's rush hour.

Metro rail service from Smith Lands north to the University of Houston-Downtown station was not affected by the power problems at the south end of the line.

The driver of the truck got two tickets and an expensive lesson in how to watch out for power lines.