Repairs still underway on airport MARTA line following derailment

ATLANTA — Repair crews are still working on the MARTA tracks leading to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, requiring passengers to take a bus bridge from College Park to the terminal.

MARTA did have a single-track open shuttling a single train to and from College Park. But until they have fully repaired the line, MARTA had this bus bridge to help pick up the passenger load.

Channel 2's Richard Elliot spotted Mary Pyle and her son William as they got off the train from Roswell and got on the bus bridge for a trip to Chicago.

“We knew to leave early,” Pyle said. “We gave ourselves about an hour and a half to get to the airport from Roswell.”

MARTA officials say two cars on an out-of-service train derailed around 9 p.m. Tuesday at the airport station, causing train service to stop on the red and gold lines.

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The derailed train was removed late Thursday night.

Elliot learned on Friday that the accident didn’t happen on the main line but rather on a siding used to direct cars to a maintenance yard.

MARTA officials said, as of right now, they have no idea what caused the derailment but it’s under investigation.

While MARTA was running a single-track shuttle, many people still had to use the bus bridge.

Margaret Bacon told Elliot on Friday that she was trying to get to work. She wondered why repairs were taking so long, but overall, gave MARTA high marks for its response.

“I’m glad they had a backup plan. Things happen, you know? I just wanted to get to work on time.  It’s OK. We’re getting there,” Bacon said.

MARTA officials still are not sure when the repairs will be done to the line. They did reassure people that it will be taken care of long before Super Bowl LIII.

Cox Media Group