Metro to operate more train and bus service with improvements to Blue, Orange, and Silver lines and 68 bus routes beginning next week

Most train service in Metro’s 47-year history; full pre-pandemic bus service levels restored 

Metro customers will see more trains, more buses, and simpler fares next week as Metro rolls out its tenth service improvement since last summer. Metro has adapted to post-pandemic travel patterns to provide safe, frequent and reliable service at all times of the day, all days of the week to serve all types of customers connecting our amazing region to all its possibilities.

Beginning Monday, June 26, Orange Line trains will operate every 10 minutes from opening until 9:30 p.m., and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m., seven days a week, an improvement on the current 12-minute weekday frequency during peak hours and 15 minutes weekday frequencies during off-peak hours. Orange Line customers are reminded of ongoing summer construction work through July 16. Visit wmata.com/2023majorconstruction for more information.

Additionally, Blue and Silver line trains will operate every 12 minutes from opening until 9:30 p.m., and every 15 minutes after 9:30 p.m., seven days a week. That’s an improvement on current 15-minute weekday frequencies during off-peak hours.

With Monday’s service improvements, Metro will be running more train service now than at any other time in our 47-year history. Metro will have 58 percent more trains in service on weekdays compared to last July and provide 73 percent more train trips.

Metrobus will also mark an important milestone: with improvements beginning Sunday, June 25, service will exceed pre-pandemic levels by four percent. Customers will see improvements on 68 routes, including expanding the reach of Metro's Frequent Service Network to more customers and routes. Highlights of Metrobus service improvements include:

District of Columbia

• Improving Route B2 midday, evening, and weekend frequency to every 12 minutes or better for most of the day to provide better connections between Northeast and Southeast DC.

Maryland

• Adding service to new destinations along the Landover Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway corridors by extending Route A12 and beginning service on new Route L12, including new service to Downtown Largo and New Carrollton stations and Woodmore Towne Centre, every 20 minutes for most of the day.

Virginia

• Extending service along Columbia Pike from Skyline City to National Landing on new Route 16M, which combines routes 16G and 16H, every 12 minutes for most of the day.

Click here to view full Metrobus service changes beginning June 25.

Simpler fares are also coming Monday. Metrorail rides will have one distance-based fare on weekdays before 9:30 p.m., eliminating peak fares during morning and evening rush periods. After 9:30 p.m. and on weekends, customers will still enjoy a $2 flat fare per trip. Regular Metrobus fares will remain $2 per trip, and on MetroAccess, the maximum fare will be reduced to $4 per trip.

Metro also recently launched Metro Lift, a reduced fare program for DC, Maryland, and Virginia customers enrolled in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Our program is designed to expand access, increase affordability, and advance equity for people across the region. Visit wmata.com/MetroLift for more information and instructions on how to enroll.

Metrobus and Metrorail ridership continues to grow, serving a combined post-pandemic high of 802,000 trips on Tuesday, June 6. Peak-period travel is also increasing. The 5 p.m. hour on Tuesday, June 6, was the highest single hour on Metrorail since the pandemic began, and the 8 a.m. hour on Wednesday, June 7, was the busiest morning commute since the pandemic began.