We've been highly critical of DART's handling of winter weather here at Unfair Park. The agency's cuts to bus service during inclement weather leave Dallas without adequate public transit at the time when it's most needed.
That being said, the limits Winter Weather Scenario One places on rail service make sense, given the limitations of trains powered by overhead electrical lines. Last night's ordeal endured by a train full of passengers who got stuck near downtown Carrollton show why.
When the electric overhead lines get coated in ice, sparks fly and trains stop. At about 7 p.m. on Wednesday, tweets started streaming in documenting the fate of a northbound Green Line train that stopped on the bridge that connects the Farmers Branch and Downtown Carrollton stations.
According to passengers on the train, it lost power, leaving everyone on board cold and increasingly cranky.
Stuck on a cold dart train for an hour. Will miss the last aTrain. Now what? #strandedbydart @darkishawn @wfaachannel8 @dallasnews
— Tricia Garrett (@tgarrett12) March 5, 2015@dartmedia not thanks for your patience. We're really cold!
— kelly van den handel (@kvandenhandel) March 5, 2015Hey @DARTAlerts @dartmedia what's the plan for greenline train stuck on elevated track in downtown Carrollton? Still cold.
— Jeremy Jackson (@jmjACTIVE) March 5, 2015Eventually, following repeated assurances from DART's Twitter account that "the situation is of the utmost importance. People are there evaluating the most effective & safest solution," passengers were evacuated from the train.
Just had to "evacuate" green line stuck south of Downtown Carrollton Station #dfwwx @NBCDFW @dartmedia pic.twitter.com/EhSsMJkNKz
— Horacio Hernandez (@HoracioH) March 5, 2015
