Metro Mess Ahead: 'SafeTrack' Work Starts June 4; 1-Year Overhaul Details

By DAN TAYLOR and DEB BELT

WASHINGTON, DC — It's time to have a new commuter route mapped out, with a revamped Metro track overhaul plan released Thursday that kicks off repairs -- and delays -- on June 4.

The plan will condense three years of repairs into just one year, and will mean big delays for commuters in the near future.

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld released the final "SafeTrack" plan this week, which lays out a comprehensive maintenance effort that will significantly expand maintenance time on weekends, weeknights and midday hours, according to a Metro statement.

The move comes as Metro continues to battle problems with smoke and fire issues in the Metro rail system, which led to the death of a woman near L'Enfant station last year and continues to plague the system despite a 24-hour system-wide shutdown earlier this year.

Under the plan, there will be 15 "Safety Surges," which is when key parts of the system will be shut down for a long period of time. Each of these "Surge" projects will result in around-the-clock single-tracking or even an entire shutdown of track segments, which could snarl rush-hour commutes. That will mean lots of crowding and long wait times for riders, and Metro is urging commuters to seek other forms of transportation during these periods.

"I am encouraged by the region’s response to SafeTrack and appreciate the support of business and community leaders, jurisdictional officials, our Congressional delegation and most importantly the riders, who have rallied to help us get through this challenging work," Wiedefeld said in the statement.

The first Surge project will take place June 4, and will result in single-tracking between East Falls Church and Ballston Metro stations on the Orange and Silver lines. The project will take 13 days, and will result in stations west of Ballston getting a train every 18 minutes.

"Due to reduced capacity and expected longer travel times, Orange and Silver line customers are strongly encouraged to consider alternative travel options and avoid traveling during rush-hour periods," the statement advises.

For the first Safety Surge, Metrorail customers are warned:

• Orange Line trains will run every 18 minutes at stations between Vienna and Ballston
• Silver Line trains will run every 18 minutes at all times
• Additional Orange Line trains will run between Ballston and New Carrollton; however, trains will still be less frequent than normal
• Expect significant crowding on Orange and Silver line trains
• Blue, Yellow, Green and Red line service will operate normally during rush hours during Safety Surge 1.

The Surge projects will continue until mid-March. You can find a full list of the projects and their dates here.

The new plan addresses the FTA’s concern that some of the most critical areas were not going to be addressed immediately. The revised schedule moves up repairs that will significantly reduce service for Orange, Silver and Blue line riders, reports WTOP.

In addition to the Safety Surge projects, SafeTrack also includes closing the Metrorail system at midnight every night (rather than at 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights) and expanding weekday maintenance opportunities by starting selected work at 8 p.m., rather than 10 p.m.

Here's a sampling of reaction on Twitter.