UPDATE: Metro's Rockville Rails Shut Down By Hanging Wires

Update:

Pepco cleared low-hanging wires that had disrupted Metro Red Line service since late Tuesday morning and service to Rockville stations was restored at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, said Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel. Riders should experience normal service for the evening rush.

Original post, 1:28 p.m.:

Metro stopped train service in both directions between the Shady Grove and Twinbrook stations on the Red Line in Rockville at 10:10 a.m. on Tuesday due to low-hanging power lines.

A high-voltage Pepco line came in contact with a lesser-voltage line sparking a pole fire at Indianola Drive and South Frederick Drive (Route 355) across from King Farm in Rockville, said Bob Hainey, a Pepco spokesman.

The low-hanging lines did not result in outages to Pepco customers, Hainey said.

“As a precaution [Metro] said they were going to suspend service,” he said. Pepco is working to determine a timeframe for repairing the lines, he said.

Shuttle bus service has been established between Shady Grove and Twinbrook, according to Metro’s Web site.

The delays are not affecting the other stations on the Red Line, said Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.

“When it's safe to run trains we’ll run them,” Farbstein said.