The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Derailed MARTA train disrupts service near Hartsfield-Jackson
Incident causes some to question agency’s Super Bowl readiness.
A train derailment that disrupted MARTA service near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport left some passengers in a foul mood and wondering whether the transit agency will be ready for the Super Bowl in just a few weeks.
Normal MARTA rail service to the airport is expected to resume sometime today after officials bring in a crane to lift a derailed train that has been sitting on the tracks since Tuesday, officials said.
The mishap and other delays in the transit system throughout the day left some passengers frustrated. Some felt the problems reflected poorly on MARTA as Atlanta prepares to host hundreds of thousands for the Feb. 3 Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. MARTA is expected to carry tens of thousands of people to the game.
“It’s less than three weeks until the Super Bowl, and this is a major problem for MARTA,” said Angelo Go, whose trip to work Wednesday morning was delayed more than half an hour. “Derailed trains aside, I expect them to run this system much more efficiently.”
During an afternoon press conference, MARTA rail operations
chief Dave Springstead said crews hope to remove four working cars from the “damaged set of cars, while ensuring employee safety and avoiding damage of vehicles (parked below the track).”
Springstead said he expected the crane work to be done today.
The crane is scheduled to arrive at sunrise, MARTA spokeswoman Stephany Fisher told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. However, it’s not clear what time Thursday full service will be restored.
According to the transit agency, the disruption started about 9 p.m. Tuesday when a train derailed just north of the Airport station. The conductor was the only person on board and was not injured.
Officials are not sure what caused the derailment, which MARTA said has had “minimal impacts” on travelers to the airport.
Springstead told the AJC that delays were just a few minutes, on average. But he said mechanical or other problems elsewhere may have led to further delays.
He advised passengers headed to the airport to leave 20 to 30 minutes earlier than they normally would, just in case.
“This was unexpected. It’s an unusual occurrence,” Springstead told the newspaper. “But MARTA operations, MARTA police responded very quickly.”
When asked about incidents that may arise during the Super Bowl, Springstead said that “this situation proves MARTA is ready to respond.”
MARTA was forced to ferry passengers between the College Park and Airport stations by shuttle and on southbound trains running on the northbound tracks.
Dozens of passengers waited for trains at College Park on Wednesday afternoon. Many weren’t fazed by the delays.
“You don’t need to rush to work,” Oliver Gumbs of Atlanta said on his way to a job at the airport. “This is why you leave home early.”
But some passengers were frustrated, including Theodore Evans of Atlanta, who was late picking up his grandson from day care after working a construction job at the airport. He worried about having to pay late fees to the day care.
“It’s a major hassle,” Evans said. “They have problems all the time with this train system.”