News
Rider Alert: Power Issue Expected to Cause Delays For MetroLink Passengers Through the End of Next Week
Patti Beck
Director of Communications
314-982-1440
Metro Transit is asking its MetroLink customers to plan ahead, arrive early and allow extra time for their commutes through the end of next week due to a power issue in Illinois near Emerson Park MetroLink Station.
Around 11 p.m. last night (June 11), a pole holding high voltage power lines was knocked down near the Emerson Park Station. Various equipment enclosures housing MetroLink signal and communication equipment sustained damage. Power was restored this morning but signal equipment was either damaged or destroyed as a result of the power surge. New equipment must be delivered and installed. Delivery is expected to require several days. Until then, MetroLink trains operating between the 5th & Missouri and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center Stations will run at reduced speeds and must stop at some crossings where MetroLink intersects with vehicle traffic. This stop and proceed operation is required to protect the safety of MetroLink and vehicle passengers.
Currently, MetroLink is running 5 to 10 minutes behind schedule due to the power problem. While, most MetroLink customers will notice delays of 5 to 10 minutes, Metro recommends that customers who transfer to MetroBus vehicles plan to arrive at their station in time to take trains earlier than normal so they make their usual bus connections. That will mean boarding MetroLink 15 to 20 minutes earlier than they normally would in the morning. During the afternoon rush hour, customers will need to factor in an extra half hour to make their normal connections between MetroLink and MetroBus.
As a result of this unscheduled service disruption, the single track operation scheduled between the College and Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Stations has been cancelled through the end of this week.
The Bi-State Development Agency/Metro (BSDA/Metro) is the operator of the Metro public transportation system for the St. Louis region, which includes the 87 vehicle, 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; 374 MetroBus vehicle fleet that operates on 75 MetroBus routes; and Metro Call‑A‑Ride, a paratransit fleet of 121 vans.
BSDA/Metro also owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport and its surrounding industrial business park, and the Gateway Arch Riverboats, as well as operates the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center, the Gateway Arch Transportation System, and the Gateway Arch Parking Facility.