A report of fire or smoke inside the tunnel between the Medical Center and Bethesda Metro stations briefly led to the closure of the Bethesda station around 7:30 a.m. this morning.
About five minutes later the closure was lifted after fire officials swarmed the station and found no fire or smoke, according to fire department spokesman Pete Piringer.
That section of track is prone to leaks and will be the focus of a Metro improvement project in 2016. The leaks have caused arcing insulators resulting in sparks and fires stemming from the third rail and leading to service disruptions, according to Metro.
Here's how today's events played out on Twitter:
Metro – Medical Center Metro Station – South Dr – report of fire/smoke in tunnel ( reported between Medical Center & Bethesda)
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) October 23, 2014
Red Line delays in both directions due to track problem outside Bethesda. Bethesda Station is TEMPORARILY CLOSED. 7:29a #wmata
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) October 23, 2014
Metro UPDATE – NO FIRE Emergency Medical Center Metro Station (tunnel) – good intent, no fire, no smoke, no emergency – #MCFRS CLEAR
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) October 23, 2014
Red Line: Trains have resumed normal service at Bethesda. The station has reopened. Earlier track problem was unfounded.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) October 23, 2014