Attention Metro Riders: Revised WMATA Surge Red Line Repairs Delayed

SILVER SPRING, MD — WMATA officials have released a new schedule of SafeTrack work to fix chronic safety problems throughout the rail system, and another round of Red Line work from Fort Totten to NoMa that impacts Montgomery County passengers is delayed two weeks.

The 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, was supposed to take place from Oct. 10 to Nov. 1. But with more problems uncovered as repairs are made on the system, officials scrapped the timeline. The revised schedule now calls for Surge 9 work on the Red Line to be done between Oct. 29 and Nov. 22.

And 2017 Surge repairs don't have firm dates, that will come in December, Metro officials said.

Surge #10: NoMa-Gallaudet-Fort Totten | October 29 - November 22

• Date change: This surge will now begin on Saturday, October 29, and continue through Tuesday, November 22.
• Service info: Red Line rail service will not operate between Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet stations during this surge. As a result, two stations–Brookland and Rhode Island Avenue–will be closed. Buses will operate between Fort Totten, Brookland, Rhode Island Ave and NoMa. However, customers are encouraged to use the Green Line as an alternate route between Fort Totten and Downtown DC (Gallery Place). Red Line trains will operate less frequently than normal at all stations, and riders are encouraged to use alternate routes or travel outside of rush-hour periods if possible.

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, 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.

Surge 9 will begin Thursday, Sept. 15, and run for 42 days through Oct. 26 focused on the Orange Line, which will single track at all times between Vienna and West Falls Church. On weekends, rail service will be suspended.

Other SafeTrack surge dates were announced Wednesday:

Surge #11: East Falls Church-West Falls Church | November 28 - December 21

• Date change: This surge will now begin on Monday, November 28, and continue through Wednesday, December 21.
• Service info: Trains will single track at all times between East Falls Church and West Falls Church stations, affecting both Orange and Silver line service. Trains will run every 16 minutes at all times, with heavy crowding expected during rush hour periods. Riders are encouraged to use alternate routes or travel outside of rush-hour periods if possible.

Updated SafeTrack schedule information for 2017 will be announced in December with specific start and end dates. However, Metro has revised the order of some surges to reduce weather impacts on above-ground work zones

• Early January: Braddock Road–Huntington Blue LineYellow Line, Single tracking with weekend shutdowns
• Late January - Early February: Rosslyn–Pentagon Blue Line, Line segment shutdown
• March: Braddock Road–Huntington Blue LineYellow Line, Single tracking with weekend shutdowns
• Late March - April: Greenbelt–College Park Green Line, Single tracking with weekend shutdowns

Metro and the Federal Transit Administration will continue to schedule maintenance needs that will be added to the maintenance program. For more information about the SafeTrack program, service impacts and travel alternatives, visit wmata.com/safetrack.

Permanent Change in Operating Hours Likely

Metro official have proposed permanently shutting 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 leaders have 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 Montgomery and Prince George's 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.

— Story by Patch Editor Dan Taylor
Image via WMATA