A work vehicle hits a stopped Washington Metro train, leaving 11 people with minor injuries

WASHINGTON — A work vehicle hit a commuter train in downtown Washington early Wednesday, leaving 11 people with minor injuries, officials said.

The stationary silver line train was struck just after midnight at the Metro Center station, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a social media post. The station is a major transfer point in the rail system.

The injuries were minor and everyone walked out of the station, WMATA General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said in a social media post. The damage was minor and there are no signs of nefarious actions or problems with infrastructure, Clarke said. The National Transportation Safety Board was on site and working with WMATA investigators, and communications and video will be reviewed, he said.

“Safety is our core value & we are proud of how safe Metro is but this incident emphasizes there is always room to improve,” Clarke said in his post. “We will learn from the incident & investigation and continue to ensure customer & staff safety is paramount in all we do.”

Metro warned riders to expect delays Wednesday. Some lines were using just one track and the silver line was only running from Ashburn and Clarendon in Virginia because of the ongoing investigation.