Amtrak has announced a "major expansion" of its on-board Wi-Fi service, moving it beyond the Acela train and on to a number of more widely used and affordable alternatives. more ›

Last night, we mentioned that Metro Transit Police were asking the public to help indentify whoever shot a man at an Oxon Hill bus stop on Sunday. But that's not the whole story. more ›

UPDATE: Friendship Heights has reopened, though trains are still single tracking through the station. At approximately 4 p.m. an adult male was hit by a train. The man was eventually removed at 4:49 p.m. after being stuck underneath one of the cars. WMATA has established bus shuttles between Bethesda and Van Ness-UDC. It is still unclear how the man ended up on the tracks or what his status is, though he was reportedly alive and conscious after being pulled from the tracks. more ›

UPDATE (1:43 p.m.): The Washington Post, who previously reported that the woman had died, has retracted that report and is now saying she has "serious...non-life threatening injuries." The northwestern portion of the Red Line is a bit of a mess this morning, after a woman intentionally placed herself on the tracks and was struck by a train around 7:49 a.m. more ›

UPDATE: Normal service at Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood resumed at 4:07 p.m., per WMATA. The Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood Metro station on the Red Line was temporarily closed for a short time this afternoon after a woman was struck by a train. WMATA says that the incident occurred around 2:24 p.m. more ›

Morning Washington. After the last few days of glorious, spring-like weather, we've returned to a still seasonably warm 50s but with really strong winds. Those winds might gust up to 70 miles per hour, so while it looks sunny and inviting outside, just be warned that not all is as it seems. more ›

Yesterday, we wanted to know whether, given similar circumstances, you'd rather take an intercity bus or the train. A little less one day later, slightly more than 55 percent of you said that you prefer the extra leg room and traffic-free trip of the railroad. But while there were plenty of bus defenders in the comments, some of you chimed in and said that when it came to a choice in travel, you took to the air. more ›

We like to take trips here at DCist. Usually, we find ourselves shuttling between destinations where we could either use Amtrak or an intercity bus service, like BoltBus or Megabus. So it was with great interest when we noticed City Paper editor Mike Madden and H Street advocate Margaret Holwell arguing about which mode of transportation was better this morning. more ›

An 81-year-old man was struck and killed by a MARC commuter train in Gaithersburg this morning at 7:52 a.m., according to the Maryland Transit Administration. NBCWashington.com reports that the man was rushing across the tracks to try and make a train when he got hit by train 878 -- the death will likely be classified as an accident, though Montgomery County police are investigating. The man reportedly lived but blocks away from the station. The incident caused major delays this morning as train 878 and others were severely delayed. Metro was accepting MARC tickets from Shady Grove into Washington to help alleviate the backup. more ›

While we realize that many of you will be enjoying the empty streets of D.C. this weekend, for many Washingtonians, it's time to get on the road, the tracks or the air and make the annual late November pilgrimage. It inspired us to highlight a cross-section of Flickr pool's tremendous collection of photographs capturing the experience of traveling in and around the District. more ›

Three Amtrak employees and two other people suffered minor injuries this morning after a low-speed collision between an Amtrak train and a MARC train caused a derailment outside of Union Station. Based on information from D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson Pete Piringer, the two trains "bumped" after 9 a.m. this morning, but neither overturned. No customers were on either train at the time of the collision. Now, I realize that when people hear "train derailment," they immediately think of the worst -- so, for context, here's an image of the scene from WAMU reporter Patrick Madden. As you can see, its hardly the wreckage you may have initially imagined. Still, the area is a bit of a mess, and I'm sure there will be plenty of questions to answer about why the two trains were occupying the same section of track at the same time. Both Amtrak and MARC riders should expect delays today due to the investigation of the scene. more ›

Have you ever wondered how Second Life avatars who "don't have one of those fancy phones that have all those apps and things" find out when the next Metro train is coming? By using WMATA's new real time arrival information-by-phone service, duh. Metro rolled out the new service today: you call 202-637-7000, say "next train," then follow the prompts to hear train arrivals at any given station within the next 20 minutes. (At stations with more than one line, callers have to choose one color.) The service is designed to complement WMATA's online and mobile arrival time tools. more ›

Photos released earlier this month by the National Transportation Safety Board reveal that Metro's series 1000 rail cars experience significant damage even when placed in the middle of a train. The photos were taken following a crash at the West Falls Church rail yard last November, when two six-car trains collided. The trains were both out-of-service, but three Metro employees, including the train operator, were injured. more ›

Earlier this week, Unsuck DC Metro unearthed this YouTube clip of a Metrorail car that stopped over a fire as smoke floated over both sides of the train. Fast forward to about the thirty second mark for the action. more ›

Another fatal train collision to report, this time an Amtrak Northeast Regional that struck and killed a 14-year-old Maryland girl as she was walking to school, the AP is reporting (via WTOP). The accident took place at around 9 a.m. in Baltimore County, but is creating delays all up and down the Northeast corridor as police investigate. AlertDC reported earlier that only one out of four railroad tracks in D.C. and Maryland is currently cleared for service, and at reduced speed at that. Union Station is only now beginning to release northbound trains, and significant delays are likely to continue well into the afternoon. more ›

We noted over the weekend that a CSX train had pushed an empty, parked car into the Anacostia River, but it took us a minute to realize that this report of a car ending up in the river was actually a second, totally different incident. The Post reports that at just before 1 a.m. on Sunday, two people were in a small car when it somehow ended up in the water, near Half Street SW. One person exited the vehicle on their own after the crash, and rescuers safely removed the second. They were both taken to a hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Let's hope nothing else provokes the Anacostia's raging waters this week! more ›

A vehicle which had parked on train tracks was pushed into the Anacostia River by a CSX locomotive in Southeast Washington early this morning. The incident occurred on the 1900 block of M Street SE -- the street runs parallel to the rail tracks, but stops short of crossing the river. Around 5:45 a.m., the vehicle was struck by an outbound freight train and nudged off the bridge, coming to rest in about 1-2 feet of water as the train derailed. Police and fire department investigators found no signs of fuel spillage into the river. Additionally, the car was unoccupied and no one was seriously injured. The accident location is in close proximity to the Seafarers Boat Club at 1950 M Street SE, but there's no word yet as to why the individual decided to park their car on the train tracks. more ›

A man was struck by a Yellow Line train at the Columbia Heights station at around 2 p.m. this afternoon, Metro officials have confirmed. Preliminary reports indicate this appears to be another suicide attempt, making this the ninth such attempt this year on the D.C. Metro system. Trains are currently stopped while rescue workers attempt to reach the man, who is under the train. More soon. UPDATE 2:27: Reader Matthew writes in to say that while traveling between Fort Totten and U Street stations just after the incident, a crowd of people got on at Columbia Heights and some of them said that they had witnessed a man jump in front of the Yellow Line train. D.C. Fire/EMS confirms rescue and treatment attempts are still ongoing, so no word yet on the man's condition. 2:39 p.m.The Columbia Heights station is now closed, according to Metro. Green Line trains are single-tracking between Georgia Ave. and U St./Cardozo, but for now they are not stopping at Columbia Heights. 3 p.m. Columbia Heights station has reopened, but trains continue to share the same track. 3:10 p.m.D.C. Fire/EMS spokesperson Pete Piringer said the person struck was a teenage male. He was removed from under the train by firefighters, treated by paramedics and transported to a local hospital with serious and life threatening injuries. 3:40 p.m. Metro is saying the teen was "fatally struck," which is the first we've heard that he died from his injuries. Columbia Heights station is now open, but Green Line trains are single tracking between Georgia Ave-Petworth and Shaw. more ›

The worst year ever for Metro just keeps getting worse. WMATA just issued an alert that a person may have been struck by a train at the Van Ness station on the Red line. Trains are single tracking between Cleveland Park and Friendship Heights until further notice. Plan your commutes accordingly via bus or an extra long happy hour tonight. There's no information yet about the condition of the person who may have fallen on the tracks. UPDATE: Not that this should be a surprise to anyone, but AlertDC is warning us that there are also major delays on Connecticut Avenue NW due to the situation. more ›

Amtrak and MARC Penn Line service has been suspended between Baltimore and D.C. since 7:45 a.m., thanks to a major water main break affecting tracks between the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and Baltimore Penn stations. Amtrak reports that tracks in the area are covered with mud, trees and other debris. Service restoration is not expected until at least noon today, and could be hours later. There's literally no alternative rail service between the two cities, so if you had plans to travel north from D.C. via train this morning, you ought to look into a bus. You can call 800-USA-RAIL for train status updates later in the day. more ›

The Post reported earlier today that two commercial locomotive cars derailed this morning while traveling through the District. Some Diesel fuel and oil spilled as a result of the derailment, but no injuries were reported. A HazMat team responded to the scene to clean up the oil. The derailment took place about 11:15 a.m. near the 200 block of 33rd Street SE, near Anacostia Park. more ›

President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived at Washington's Union Station and emerged from the "Obama Express" at just after 6:40 p.m. this evening. The "whistle stop tour" began earlier today in Philadelphia, then stopped in Biden's home of Wilmington, Delaware, and also in Baltimore for a public event at the War Memorial Plaza. more ›

Vice President-Elect Joe Biden is a well-known train geek, so we have to assume he was involved in the decision for him and President-Elect Barack Obama to arrive in Washington on Jan. 17 via Amtrak. Sure, the Lincoln-loving Obama says he's replicating his presidential hero's journey to Washington by starting out in Philadelphia and stopping in Baltimore on his way, but Biden made the fact that he rides the train between D.C. and Wilmington almost every day one of his talking points during the campaign, so the symbolism works for both of them rather nicely. more ›

Breaking from WMATA: Someone's been struck by a train at Suitland Metro station. The reports we're getting is that the unidentified individual went completely under the train, and that the odds they are still alive are slim. The station is temporarily closed and trains are turning back at Naylor Road station. There is currently no train service between Naylor Road and Branch Avenue, and the Green line is going to be seriously delayed in both directions for at least the next several hours, if not longer. MORE: Metro says investigators have told them it looks like a suicide attempt, that the person was on the tracks intentionally. UPDATE 1:13 p.m. Suitland Metro has reopened. Trains are sharing one track between Naylor Road and Branch Avenue, so continue to expect Green line delays.
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As of 5:04 p.m. this evening, Metro is all clear. more ›

This just in from Metro: more ›

I complained to Metro once when my train was offloaded at Arlington Cemetery (back a few months ago when there were all those rail fires) and we were all left to find our ways home from a station with no buses or taxis -- when they could have easily offloaded us at Rosslyn instead. They sent me a free ride ticket for my troubles. It's a little piece of paper -- not a farecard. To use it, you have to show it to the station manager when you enter, so he/she can open the gate for you. Then when you get to your destination, you have to get the station manager to let you out. So far I haven't found myself with an extra 10 minutes in the morning to deal with this "gift." Leave it to Metro to make a free ride much more complicated than it needs to be -- ever heard of a $1.35 farecard, Metro? more ›

If you're heading out of the office to hop on the Green line at this very moment, may we suggest a bus? An unidentified man was struck by a train at 4:40 p.m. at the Fort Totten station and Metro put out the word to expect major delays. From WMATA: (Green line) trains are single-tracking through the area, taking turns headed in both directions between West Hyattsville and Georgia Ave-Petworth Metrorail stations. Shuttle buses have... more ›

Last night, Fox 5 reported on an alarming attack of a gay man by six or seven men on the Metro. "Nathaniel," as he's referred to in the report, was riding alone on a train Friday night. As the doors closed at Metro Center, the group surrounded and beat Nathaniel, kicking him as he fell to the floor and yelling "faggot". Nathaniel managed to get off the train at the Smithsonian station, and he ran... more ›

Mid-December has arrived, and with that comes the inevitable flood of best-of lists. The Washington Area Film Critics' Association has, for the previous five years of its existence, been in the habit of trying to get their own list out ahead of most of the other critics' societies. We can't really blame them. Considering the fact that none of the critics from the city's biggest newspaper are members, not to mention the fact that the... more ›