(The Associated Press circulated the following article on January 12.)
WASHINGTON — A computer glitch affecting a major freight railroad stalled trains in six states and the District of Columbia for about 90 minutes Wednesday and delayed service on about a dozen commuter lines.
At about 3 p.m. EST, a computer server at a dispatch center for CSX Transportation went down, which affected the railroad’s ability to signal and align trains. CSX is the largest rail system in the eastern United States.
CSX spokeswoman Misty Skipper said train traffic was halted in the Baltimore, Washington and Pittsburgh areas, and parts of North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio and Virginia.
Eight Amtrak trains traveling south of Washington and four commuter trains in northern and central Virginia were delayed because they run on tracks owned by CSX.