Tampa streetcar freed after getting stuck

Photo courtesy John Dominici

Crews were able to free a streetcar in downtown Tampa this afternoon after a switch malfunction left it stranded in the middle of an intersection, apparently derailed.

The bright yellow HART streetcars run a loop between Franklin Street north of the Tampa Convention Center, and Ybor City, making several stops along the way. One of the cars got stuck at a switching point along Franklin Street at Brorein.

A HART spokesperson says the switch was being tested when it did not close properly, resulting in the car getting stuck between switch points.  Photos from viewers showed the front of the car on one set of tracks, and the rear of the car on another set.

But the car did not, in fact, derail, the agency insisted.

Maintenance crews were able to free the car and get it running again.