Metro riders’ alert: A week of track work ahead
By Robert Thomson, Updated: July 29, 2013
Four lines are affected by weeknight track work. This weekend, the big impacts of the rebuilding program will be felt on the Orange, Blue and Red lines.
Weeknights
Late-night projects will cause delays of about 10 minutes on four lines from 10 o’clock each night through Thursday. These are the zones where trains will be sharing tracks around work areas.
Red Line. Between Van Ness and Friendship Heights, and between Silver Spring and Forest Glen.
Blue/Orange lines. Between McPherson Square and Smithsonian.
Green Line. Between Fort Totten and Prince George’s Plaza.
Weekend
From 10 p.m. Friday through midnight Sunday, Metro will work on the Orange, Blue, Red and Green lines. Here’s the impact.
Orange/Blue lines. Free shuttle buses will replace trains between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly on the Orange Line and between Stadium-Armory and Benning Road on the Blue Line. (Note this especially if you’re going to the D.C. United game in RFK Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.)
On the Orange Line, the Deanwood and Minnesota Avenue stations will be closed. No stations will be closed on the Blue Line. Taking the shuttle buses will add 15 to 20 minutes to normal travel time, Metro said. Crews will be working on the platforms at the closed Orange Line stations. No stations will be closed on the Blue Line.
Where the trains are operating, they should reach platforms about every 15 minutes.
Red Line. Crews will be working on the ceiling at Farragut North, and on lighting, closed-circuit cameras and communications equipment. Trains will leave the ends of the line at Shady Grove and Glenmont every 20 minutes throughout the weekend. But from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, more trains will be in service between Shady Grove and Farragut North and between Glenmont and Judiciary Square. In those two zones, which cover most of the line, trains should reach platforms every 10 minutes.
Green Line. Crews will be working outside the Greenbelt station on the new test track for the 7000 series rail cars. Service between College Park and Branch Avenue will be normal, about every 12 minutes during the day and every 15 to 20 minutes at night. But during the day, every other train will start or end its run at College Park, so passengers going between the two stations will experience delays. People who would normally park at the Greenbelt station might prefer to use College Park this weekend.
See also: Riders advisory council calls for Metro track work timetables.
