Red Line riders should expect delays Friday evening after a utility pole fell onto a train amid gusty winds, then blocked the tracks.
No passengers were hurt, according to Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein, but the train operator requested medical attention.
The pole fell about 3:15 p.m. between the New York Avenue and Rhode Island Avenue stops, Farbstein said. It occurred as the region has been swept by strong winds. The National Weather Service issued a warning that gusts could reach 60 mph thoughout the evening.
Farbstein did not know what part of the train was hit but she said it was able to return to the station. It had been heading downtown at the time. The pole did not appear to belong to Metro, she added.
As of 4:30 p.m., Red Line trains were sharing a single track in the area, causing delays along the line. Farbstein had no estimates of when normal service would resume. She said crews would have to remove the pole, inspect the area and likely run a test train through the stretch.
