Attention Metro Riders: Huge Change to WMATA Surge Repair Schedule Is Coming Soon

SILVER SPRING, MD — It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Metro since starting the SafeTrack plan to fix chronic safety problems throughout the rail system, and WMATA will soon release a new schedule for its last six "Surges," which includes another round of Red Line work from Fort Totten to NoMa that impacts Montgomery County passengers, according to a spokesperson.

Since the massive overhaul began, Metro's website listed dates for all 15 Surges, but recently the dates for Surges 10 through 15 were removed, with the transit system posting the following notice on the site: "The dates and sequence of the surges below are subject to change. A revised schedule will be provided by mid-September."

That new schedule likely will be released "within the next two weeks," Metro spokesperson Richard Jordan told Patch.com on Sept. 8.

WMATA's SafeTrack initiative accelerates three years of track repairs into less than a year by significantly expanding maintenance work. SafeTrack's 15 "Safety Surges" – long-duration track outages for major projects in key parts of the system – have caused delays throughout the DC region.

Metro has been struggling with numerous problems since the start of SafeTrack, the worst of which was a derailment near the East Falls Church station last month on the Orange and Silver lines due to deteriorated track ties that shut down the station for days.

Since then, Surges have been adjusted significantly, with Red Line segments between Twinbrook and Shady Grove station shut down entirely during the weekend in August when it was only supposed to include single-tracking.

If the Surges continue as first announced, Montgomery County commuters would have one more round of repairs to survive during Surge 10 between Fort Totten and the NoMa stations, which had been slated as the next section of work. That is unclear with the pending revisions to the schedule.

This is the section of Surge 10 work previously announced by Metro, complicating life for Wheaton and Silver Spring area commuters:

Here's how Metro describes the Red Line segment shutdown between NoMa & Fort Totten. Red Line trains will run in two segments: Shady Grove to NoMa every 5 minutes and Glenmont to Fort Totten every 10 minutes

• Two stations will be closed: Brookland-CUA and Rhode Island Ave
• Shuttle buses will replace trains between NoMa and Fort Totten
• Expect crowding on all trains due to less frequent Red Line service
• Green Line provides alternate path for travel between Fort Totten and Gallery Place
• Red Line customers should consider alternate travel options and avoid traveling during rush-hour periods if possible; expect trains to be extremely crowded

— This story includes reporting by Patch Editor Dan Taylor.
»Images via WMATA