Metrorail gets a service boost systemwide amid ridership surge
Starting Monday, March 20, Metro will begin increasing train service across the rail system just in time for peak cherry blossom season. Weekday service will see an infusion of trains, as well as weekends. Additional trains will also run as needed during the Cherry Blossom Festival as crowding is monitored during peak bloom.
The improvements correspond to growing ridership, with new post-pandemic records being set almost daily. This week, Metrorail saw its highest ridership since the pandemic, with more than 337,000 paid trips on Wednesday, followed by the second highest day on Thursday with more than 335,000 trips. Cherry blossom season, tourism, sporting events, entertainment, and increased commuters are driving the trend.
“As we add trains and improve service, more and more people are choosing Metrorail,” said Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke. “Our teams are working hard every day to get more 7000-series trains in service and hire more people so we can make #YourMetro even better.”
Service will ramp up across the system through March 25, providing customers with more frequent, reliable service that makes transfers easier and wait times shorter. Starting first, as of Monday, March 20, customers on the Silver, Blue, Orange, and Blue+ lines will see trains every 12 minutes Monday through Friday during rush hours (6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.). Between Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory, the central part of the rail system where multiple lines overlap, trains will arrive in stations on average every three minutes during rush hours.
On Saturday, March 25, service will improve on the Red Line increasing service to every 8 minutes through 9:30 p.m., seven days a week, instead of just rush hours and midweek. The change aligns with service on the Green Line, which already operates every 8 minutes on weekdays and weekends.
Additional service improvements are expected over the coming months as we staff up with more train operators, mechanics and maintenance workers, and increase the availability of 7000-series (7K) railcars.
For the latest service information, we encourage you to sign up for MetroAlerts text and email messages and news releases, follow us on Twitter @wmata @metrorailino @metrobusinfo, or go to wmata.com/alerts.
Have a question about service or need assistance planning your trip? Reach out to our customer service team, available weekdays 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. by calling 202-637-7000 (automated information available 24/7), via chat online at wmata.com, and through our social media channels.
