Green Line light rail service through the University of Minnesota area was temporarily unavailable Monday afternoon after a train was damaged in Stadium Village.

A piece of metal connecting one of the eastbound light rail trains to the power line above it started sparking and caused the train to stop at about 2:30 p.m. near Moos Tower, Metro Transit spokesman Bruce Howard said.

Officials evacuated that train and another one near the next stop at the corner of University Avenue Southeast and Huron Boulevard Southeast, Howard said.

No injuries occurred during the incident, officials said. Train service was unavailable between seven light rail stops — from downtown Minneapolis to the intersection of University Avenue West and Raymond Avenue in St. Paul — during Monday’s evening hours.

Buses ferried passengers across the stretch of stops where service was unavailable, Howard said.

Strategic communications senior Tommy Kraus said he saw the train’s connecting arm take damage as he was walking to class.

“The line started sparking a lot, and there was smoke,” he said.

The other evacuated train, which was undamaged, stopped near the WaHu apartment complex under construction near the corner of Huron Boulevard Southeast and University Avenue Southeast.

A gas leak at that building around the same time wasn’t related to the light rail shutdown, said Minneapolis Fire Deputy Chief Donald Leedham.

On Aug. 31, light rail service also shut down temporarily when a train struck and killed a pedestrian at a crosswalk.