Photo by Bill Peters

A woman who placed herself in front of an oncoming train at the Ballston station on Metro’s Orange Line is the first suicide case the transit agency has experienced in 2013.

Orange Line trains between Virginia Square and East Falls Church were suspended about 11:30 after the woman positioned herself in the path of an inbound Orange Line train, according to Metro.

Metro is running shuttle buses between Virginia Square and East Falls Church while the affected stretch of rail remains closed for rescue workers and medical examiners to conduct their investigation. It is unclear if the investigation will extend into the evening rush hour.

Eleven people intentionally stood in front of oncoming trains in 2012, with five being killed, says Metro spokesman Dan Stessel.