Scheduled track maintenance coinciding with heavy crowds leaving pop star Shakira’s concert Monday night led to MARTA train delays — another black mark for the agency as it prepares for thousands of additional riders during next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
There was a packed house at State Farm Arena for the concert, the first time the Colombian singer has headlined an Atlanta show since 2006. When the concert wrapped up a little before 11 p.m., departing fans crowded onto packed trains only to run into single-tracking — when trains run in both directions on one track, effectively creating delays by cutting available service.
I got lost taking MARTA, but I will ride again
Crowds began stacking up on the train platforms, particularly at the GWCC/CNN Center station, which serves the arena, and at Five Points station, where riders can transfer to the north-south lines.
On X, formerly Twitter, MARTA said single-tracking was put in place because of a mechanical issue. A spokesperson for the agency later told the AJC the post was incorrect, and said single-tracking was in place to do scheduled maintenance between the Garnett and Civic Center stations…