Metro officials are trying to determine what caused a Blue Line train to become entangled in a loose cable, forcing passengers to be evacuated near the Smithsonian station.
An Associated Press reporter aboard the train said it came to a halt Tuesday about 8:30 a.m. Passengers near the front started running toward the back of the train. There was a faint smell of smoke and a small fire in the tunnel.
Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said a long communications cable wrapped around the wheels of a train car. The incident does not appear to be weather-related.
Train operators evacuated passengers through the rear of the train, directly onto another train behind the stalled train and into the L’Enfant Plaza station.
Trains continue to single-track through the area, causing minor delays.
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