A man is in the hospital with critical injuries after he was shocked on top of a MARC train at Union Station Friday morning. DC Fire and EMS said the man came into contact with power while walking on the roof of the train car, causing an electric shock. A statement from Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods identified the man as a “trespasser.”
She said the man came into contact with an overhead wire, which caused a power outage. It took about an hour and a half for the man to be rescued from the time it was first reported, because power had to be brought down so rescuers could get to the man safely.
DC Fire and EMS working to remove victim from atop rail car during earlier incident at Union Station. This was taken after the high voltage catenary was de-energized, grounded, and tested in order to make the scene safe. #DCsBravest pic.twitter.com/gRiNMYuNvo
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) December 2, 2022
No passengers were injured. The Amtrak Police Department is investigating the incident. The MARC Penn Line train scheduled to depart Union Station at 5:30 p.m, has been canceled. The Maryland Transportation Authortity said passengers will be accommodated on the 6 p.m. train making all stops. (EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been corrected to reflect that the incident occurred on the top of a MARC train.)