Goodbye, Late Night Metro: WMATA to Permanently Shut Down Trains After Midnight

Metro will now close at 10 p.m. on Sundays and permanently close at midnight on weekends under a new proposal put forward by Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, according to a WMATA statement issued Tuesday, July 26.

The Metro Board will have to weigh in after public feedback, but if enacted it would mean a permanent end to weekend hours stretching to 3 a.m.

Wiedefeld initially said the decision to move the system close time from 3 a.m. to midnight was needed for more track work time for the SafeTrack repair plan to fix chronic smoke and fire problems in the Metro. But as the move also saves Metro money, it looks like that close time won't be rolled back when the SafeTrack plan ends.

"Under the proposed schedule, the Metrorail system would be open 127 out of 168 hours in a week," the statement reads. "Prior to SafeTrack, the system was open 135 hours per week. The additional track time increases safety and reliability by giving workers the time and space they need to keep Metro's infrastructure in a state of good repair. To inform this recommendation, Wiedefeld engaged peer transit agencies and rail engineering consultants, all of whom urged that the focus on track safety and maintenance continue to prevent Metro from sliding backward."

Wiedefeld will formally propose the change at the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday at 11 a.m.