MARTA police to conduct training at Sandy Springs, Decatur stations

MARTA riders traveling to the north Fulton area next weekend should brace for heavy police activity at one Red Line station.

The agency's police department will conduct simulated-training exercises at the Sandy Springs station Nov. 5, MARTA officials announced Wednesday. The training exercise, dubbed Operation Deep Impact, starts at 11:30 p.m. and is scheduled to run until 3 a.m.

Similar training exercises will also occur at the Decatur MARTA station. So plan ahead, since MARTA officials say rail service on that line is scheduled to end at midnight.

These kind of police drills are necessary to judge MARTA’s emergency response capabilities in case of an actual threat, according to agency officials.

Federal laws require that public transit providers with a ridership size like MARTA conduct these kind of exercises.

OUT AND ABOUT? PLAN AHEAD:

• Bus riders leaving from the Decatur MARTA station are in luck that evening. A bus shuttle will run between the East Lake and Avondale MARTA stations from 11:30 p.m. until service ends.
• No worries,  Sandy Springs travelers. Rail service will continue as normal, MARTA officials said. Do expect, however, to find alternate parking, because portions of the deck will get closed during the exercise.