(The following article by Edie Gross was posted on the Free Lance Star website on September 13.)
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Barely 10 minutes into Elizabeth Treadwell’s Monday morning commute, the lights on her Virginia Railway Express train cut out.
What followed was a particularly long trip, not just for those on Treadwell’s train, but for commuters on the five other Fredericksburg-line trains.
“Another very regrettable experience on VRE,” sighed Treadwell, who was an hour and 20 minutes late for her job at the Library of Congress. “Getting to work in this area, it really is an ordeal.”
Trains on the Fredericksburg line have endured numerous delays lately, largely due to track work on the CSX-owned railroad tracks. But yesterday’s problems started with VRE.
The tone for the day was set about 5:30 a.m. when Treadwell’s train–the first out of Fredericksburg–limped into the Brooke station in southern Stafford County without its lights on.
A sensor that detects water levels in the train’s engine automatically turned the engine off after sensing low levels.
VRE intended to transfer that first train’s passengers onto its second train. But then the second train suffered an electrical malfunction that caused problems with the brakes.
Meanwhile, mechanics realized that the water levels in the first train were just fine–it was the sensor that was misbehaving.
So they drove the first train, now delayed, all the way to Washington, having to restart it every time the sensor cut off the engine.
The second train was then pushed into Washington by train No. 3, slowing both of them down considerably.
The morning–bad even by Monday standards–continued to disintegrate when a freight train carrying hazardous materials “became disabled” north of the Quantico bridge, according to an e-mail VRE sent to passengers.
Before allowing VRE trains to pass, CSX crews had to inspect the freight train to make sure no hazardous material had escaped.
None had. But the process delayed the fourth, fifth and sixth VRE trains in addition to Amtrak train No. 84, which is often used by commuters.
Around 7:30 a.m., VRE sent a message to all passengers, encouraging them to use their train tickets for free access to Metro.
Stafford resident Lorraine Walton said she appreciated the sentiment, but wasn’t able to take VRE up on its offer since she was sitting on train No. 4 near Quantico.
“When you’re stuck 30 miles south of the first Metro station, it’s a little hard,” she said.
VRE officials did not return phone calls yesterday. But they sent an e-mail to riders, apologizing for the morning’s calamities.
“This was certainly a difficult morning for everyone. Murphy’s Law applied today–if it could have gone wrong, it did,” the e-mail stated. “We recognize that in addition to the train delays, it was Monday. Certainly, not the best way to start your week.”
Treadwell said she would have to stay late at the office last night to finish the work she missed in the morning.
Ironically, she said, VRE’s Web site urges folks to: “Fall into a better commute. Go VRE.”
“What is this?” she asked. “Black humor day?”