Rats 1, MetroRail 0

Metro finally figured out what caused a power outage that shut down the MetroRail line Wednesday: a rat(s). No, we're not kidding.

A rat or rats had crawled beneath a pole connected to an underground cable box near the Rice University platform and begun chewing on the casing surrounding an electric cable. Power had been shut off for maintenance Tuesday.

When the system powered up at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, Feeley said, the exposed cable came into contact with rainwater that had pooled in the cable box, causing an electrical short that knocked the entire rail line out of commission and forced many of its 40,000 daily riders to find alternate transportation.

Power was later restored everywhere except the section of the line near Rice University and Hermann Park. Riders had to get off the train at the Med Center and ride shuttle buses to Wheeler, where they could continue. The full line didn't get power again until 7:30 Wednesday evening.

First the wrecks, then high water, now rats? Having a world-class rail system is hard!