![photo (4)](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/dentonfracking/20141030153159im_/http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/files/2014/10/photo-4.jpg)
A DART police car parked outside the Pearl/Arts District Station on Oct. 13, 2014. (Robert Wilonsky / The Dallas Morning News )
Updated at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday:
DART reports that the power lines were repaired overnight, and all service has been restored this morning.
ALL LINES operating normal service this morning.
— DARTAlerts (@DARTAlerts) October 14, 2014
Original post:
Dallas Area Rapid Transit light-rail has a new nemesis today: high wind and the power outages that come with it.
DART’s experiencing several issues with its light-rail system this afternoon, according to spokesman Mark Ball — from downtown to Lake Highlands to Bachman and all points in between. To begin: Ball says there’s damage to the overhead catenary wires near Mockingbird Station caused by a southbound Blue Line train. Says Ball, a tree limb fell on top of the train somewhere near the Lake Highlands Station and got lodged in the pantograph on top of the train. (The pantograph contains holds the spring-loaded arm that connects to the catenary wires that power the train.)
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It was standing room only Monday on a bus from Union Station to Mockingbird Station. ((Leslie Snyder/The Dallas Morning News))
Says Ball, “the operator was not aware there was a tree branch on top of the train, and the tree remained stuck there when it reached Cityplace/Uptown Station.” There power there has been shut off until a technician can manually remove the tree.
“And because of that, trains have to stop at Pearl to the south and Mockingbird to the north,” says Ball. Buses will bridge the gap in service until repaiors are made.
Meanwhile, says Ball, Orange Line trains coming from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Irving are being stopped at Bachman.
“The train is going back to DFW,” says Ball, “so we don’t get too many trains stuck in downtown.”
And there are some stuck in downtown, says Ball, because of intermittent power outages. Oncor, he says, is “aware of the problem.”
Finally, there’s an issue along the Blue Line: “We are single-tracking trains from Lake Highlands to LBJ/Skillman due to a tree in that area down on the tracks north of the Lake Highlands Station. It’s a pretty area, but with a lot of trees.”
See, it’s not just you.
DART passengers need to board a bus shuttle between Victory and Baylor University Medical Center stations and between Union to Mockingbird stations due to loss of power to overhead power lines. Our apologies for the delays.
Monday’s systemwide problems came hours after DART announced it will be suspending weekend service in downtown Dallas for six consecutive weekends starting Oct. 26. While ridership is far less on weekends, the agency told passengers who use transit for work trips or to get around town to expect delays. Those closures are so the agency can replace aging light-rail tracks downtown.
Staff writer Brandon Formby contributed to this report.