Maryland Light Rail explains shutdown

Maryland's light rail system was unexpectedly cut between the 8th and 23rd December causing disruption to many travellers and giving rise to more than a few questions.  

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has since re-opened the service and now can offer an explanation of what caused the sudden shutdown. 

 

The suspension was caused by safety concerns says Courtney Mims, a spokesperson for the MTA. They discovered 'potential for a punctured electrical conduit' on its light rail vehicles during a routine inspection. It decided then to suspend all services 'out of an abundance of caution and to facilitate expedited inspections on all its fleet.' 

 

Following three smoke events during a four month period in 2023, it was discovered that the underlying cause was systemic. Two weeks were then spent inspecting every LRV for any evidence of electrical conduit damage which could potentially lead to smoke, fires or electrical failures and replaced any faulty equipment. 

 

The repairs were completed and certified by Alstom and the fleet is now back up and running. 

 

The suspension took place during a USD160M overhaul of the light rail service and just days after the US Department of Transportation announced USD3.3BN in budget cuts.  

 

The system usually carries 100,000 passengers daily and it is hoped that this work will help prevent against future disruptions.