Tangled wire disrupts service on Blue, Expo lines near downtown

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Blue Line and Expo Line tracks were closed near downtown Los Angeles on Friday morning after a train got tangled with an overhead wire, causing a power outage.

Buses were picking up passengers along the train routes, officials said. The southbound Blue Line was shut down from 7th Street/Metro Center to Washington, with northbound Blue Line trains running on a limited basis.

The Expo Line was closed in both directions from 23rd Street to 7th Street/Metro Center. A Twitter message from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said limited service had resumed after 9 a.m., with 20-minute delays.

No one was hurt in the incident involving the Blue Line train, which occurred at 8:15 a.m. at San Pedro Street station. Workers had to turn off the power to sections of both lines to fix the problem. Service may be restored later Friday morning, said Luis Inzunza, an MTA spokesman.

The Blue Line from Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles is among the busiest light rails in the nation, and among the most dangerous, with a recent surge in accidents involving passing cars or pedestrians.

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-- Cindy Chang