Latch glitch derails Seattle light rail as World Cup crowds overwhelm transit

Seattle’s light-rail system drew a record World Cup crowd on Monday with over 300,000 riders, but a loose latch on a rooftop hatch caused a power outage that stopped service on the 1 and 2 lines between Capitol Hill and Northgate for more than 15 hours, prompting shuttle buses and force transfers. Sound Transit conducted inspections after the outage, called the incident isolated, and noted June was the system’s busiest month ever with about 5.4 million rides.