Light-rail service at all stops in the Baltimore-area is currently suspended indefinitely due to mechanical issues, said officials from the Maryland Transit Administration during an emergency press conference on Thursday.
There are two mechanical issues that are causes of concern.
“We’ve discovered that high voltage conduits on our vehicles have been punctured,” said MTA Administrator Holly Arnold.
That was discovered during an inspection following an October 21, 2023 fire. According to a safety risk assessment conducted on behalf of MTA and Alstom, a French rail manufacturer contracted to do an overhaul on the MTA Light Rail Vehicle fleet, that problem was identified a “medium risk,” which means that it requires mitigation but is deemed safe enough for operation.
“The second issue is related to the piece of machinery that connects the two sections of our light rail cars called the ‘inter-car connector cable, which has caused six smoke events between November 2021 and November 2023, including three in the past four months,” said Arnold.
Additional inspections revealed that the problems were much more “systemic” than officials originally believed although as of yet, it is unclear how the problems became so widespread.
Arnold said that suspending service was not an issue that they “took lightly.”
Bus shuttle services will be available for light-rail riders, although Arnold did say that that service would take longer than normal light-rail trips. The light-rail connects thousands of greater Baltimore-area residents to jobs and entertainment.
It starts in suburban Hunt Valley, and runs all the way through to Glen Burnie where it forks out into two routes with one ending at BWI Thurgood-Marshall Airport and the other in Cromwell. Along the way it stops by the Timonium Fairgrounds, Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.
“It takes about two hours to get from end to end on a shuttle bus versus light rail is much much quicker,” said Arnold, noting that on-average 10,000 riders use the light-rail service daily.
Arnold said the decision is completely unrelated to the budget cut announcements made by the state’s transportation department earlier this week. The repairs and inspections will be covered under the $130 million light-rail overhaul that is currently underway with Alstom, said the administrator.
The MTA plans to run limited service once eight railcars are available and then full service will return once all repairs are completed.
“Ensuring the safety of passengers is our top priority,” said Arnold in a press statement. “We understand that these service impacts will be a significant inconvenience to many, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our riders as we conduct these essential inspections and repairs.”
