WMATA: Sorry, But There's No Chance Metro Returns to Normal Operating Hours

WASHINGTON, DC — Metro has put forward a proposal to shut down the Metro rail system at midnight on weeknights and Saturdays and at 10 p.m. on Sundays, leading 40 locally elected Maryland officials to write a letter Sept. 1 slamming the move. WMATA has now responded to that letter, saying that while they are sympathetic to their concerns and would consider some alternatives, there is no way the service returns to its regular operating hours.

WMATA has presented four scenarios to its board of directors to adjust Metrorail's operating hours in order to increase track access by approximately 20 percent as a way of dealing with the chronic maintenance problems that plague the system -- problems that led to the year-long SafeTrack plan. But a Sept. 1 letter signed by 40 elected officials from Prince George's and Montgomery counties and submitted to Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld and the board of directors states that they are "extremely concerned" about how that would affect their constituents.

Essentially, the policymakers are concerned about the change creating problems for late-shift workers who need the system to get home, as well as safety concerns since many bars close at 2 a.m. when the rail system would be shut down.

However, Wiedefeld said in response that there's not much they can do.

"While the Board will ultimately decide what changes are made to the span of service, I have made clear that returning to a schedule of operating service 135 hours out of 168 hours in a week is not sufficient for our ongoing maintenance needs," he wrote. "For years, the FTA and National Transportation Safety Board, as well as other oversight groups and outside consultants, have identified the need for increased track access. The push and pull between providing passenger service and providing access for the litany of maintenance work and inspections must be decided by one issue – the safety of our system."

Wiedefeld said he would examine some options to alleviate the pain, such as developing a late-night Metrobus service, or providing additional service on existing Metrobus routes.

Unfortunately, however, it appears to be the end of an era for Metrorail.

Image via WMATA