MARTA works to restore normal airport rail service the agency is still investigating the cause of the derailment. In the meantime, he said the shuttle service allowed MARTA to proceed carefully as it prepared to remove the derailed cars and

Crews move cars, fix track after Tuesday night derailment.

MARTA planned to resume normal rail service to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday evening after removing derailed cars from the tracks.

A crane reached the site Thursday morning, and the two cars were back on the rail by evening, ready to be moved shortly after that.

The agency was trying to restore direct service to the airport after the derailment on the tracks at the airport Tuesday night. The train was out of service at the time of the incident. No passengers were on board, and no one was injured.

But the derailment disrupted normal service, forcing MARTA to ferry passengers between the College Park and Airport stations by bus and on southbound trains using the northbound tracks.

Though delays averaged just a few minutes, some passengers reported longer delays throughout the MARTA system.

David Springstead, MARTA’s director of rail operations, said

repair damaged track.

Preliminary findings suggest the train, which consists of six cars, was heading in the right direction with four cars crossing the affected section of track without incident.

It appears the sixth rail car failed to follow the proper route, which resulted in the derailment of that car and the partial derailment of the fifth rail car, according to MARTA.

Once the removal of the cars is completed, MARTA plans to work on replacing the damaged track, Springstead said. That could take a day or two.

But MARTA will be able to restore direct rail access to the airport on other tracks that were not damaged, he said.

PHOTOS BY HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM Once the removal of the cars is completed, MARTA plans to work on replacing the damaged track, a MARTA official said. That could take a day or two.

A derailed MARTA train is lifted by a crane just north of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Thursday. MARTA ferried passengers between the College Park and Airport stations by bus and other trains.

JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM MARTA riders headed to the airport board shuttle buses at the College Park station on Thursday. A derailed MARTA train caused disruptions.