Sound Transit clears stuck train that delayed Mariners fans, commuters

Sound Transit service was delayed 35 to 40 minutes through central Seattle -and Eastside passengers were blocked on their way to a Mariners game - before workers managed to clear a stalled train at 6 p.m. Monday.

That was nearly two hours after the incident, which was reported at 4:14 p.m. northbound near University of Washington Station.

Passengers in the northbound train were eventually evacuated into a rescue train" using the southbound tracks, spokesperson Henry Bendon said. A rider's social media picture showed people walking a short distance near a tunnel wall, as part of that operation.

Trains on the 1 Line between Seattle and Lynnwood took turns on a single track to slowly detour around the stall. Normally, either a 1 Line or 2 Line train would pass through every four to five minutes.

Operators made several attempts to restart the train, Bendon said, before going to the evacuation option. The agency wants to avoid people walking in the train tunnel. About 4½ years ago, Apple Cup football fans hazardously "self-evacuated" by walking out of a packed, dark train, but all survived thanks to an alert rail operator in the oncoming trackway.

During the stall Monday afternoon, Sound Transit had to halt its incoming 2 Line trains at Judkins Park Station and turn them back to the Eastside, rather than let them share tracks with the 1 Line in downtown Seattle. Buses from King County Metro were sent to carry passengers the next mile, to International District/Chinatown Station.

"This is not the ideal," Bendon said around 5 p.m. "We are trying to restore things as quickly as possible.

Some northbound trains arriving from SeaTac and Federal Way were turned back south at Stadium Station to reduce congestion through downtown and Capitol Hill, the agency said in an update.

Despite years of complications downtown, during stalls and planned work, Sound Transit still lacks crossover and turnaround switches there, which would have helped Monday. (Engineering consultants recommend switches at Symphony or Pioneer Square station.)

Sound Transit is coming off a grand opening party March 28, to celebrate the first passenger service on the 2 Line between Bellevue and Seattle, where rails cross the floating I-90 bridge. The public made 205,000 trips that day, compared to normal ridership of around 120,000 previously.

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