Picture of smoke in Red Line station uploaded by @arasmus

Update, 11am: “Normal” service restored.

Update, 10am: Red Line is now single-tracking between Farragut North and Judiciary Square. According to Dr. Gridlock, Metro spokeswoman Angela Gates says a collector shoe fell off a train car, sparking a fire under the train at Gallery Place-Chinatown. Smoke then traveled down the tunnel to Metro Center.

Most of the downtown Red Line has been virtually shut down by heavy smoke between Metro Center and Gallery Place-Chinatown — official delay announcements have been punctuated online by reports from Twitterers of a fire caused by one or two minor explosions, possibly from under a train.

@drgridlock: A collector shoe, which sends power from the 3rd rail to the train, fell off and caused a fire.

@EWebb_PYT: 2 minor explosion on the red line! We were scared as heck. Glad everyone made it out without injury! I’m walking from Metro Center

Fuzzy pic from @1THEREGG shows what looks like a small fire on the tracks:

@DCFireEMS: metro incident – Metro Ctr / Gallery Place smoke in tunnel and/or fire under train Metro Ctr being evac

@sspenguin: DC Fire/EMS: #RedLine train’s burning brakes caused electrical fire, boom at Gallery Place; smoke backed into Metro Center station.

davestroup: now people are saying “small explosion” what in the world. it was likely arcing, using term explosion is rather sensationalist.

movingmomentarily: Burning breaks caused a small fire and train was evacuated apparently. Red line is in a DO NOT USE state. I bet it smells AWFUL too…

Paulo Ordoveza

Roving Asian mendicant, can occasionally be seen wandering the streets of downtown Washington, muttering unintelligible gibberish to passers-by while pushing a “bag lady” shopping cart full of old blankets, American flags, soda cans, and healthy secondhand snacks from organic food shop dumpsters. Used to live in a cardboard box at 16th and K but the rent was too expensive.