Metro reminds customers of upcoming summer improvement projects that will affect rail service

Metro is reminding customers to plan for two upcoming summer capital improvement projects to keep Metro on its current path of improved safety and reliability. The work will impact customers who use the Red, Orange, Blue and Silver lines.

During the 10 commuting days of the Orange, Blue and Silver line work in particular, customers who use these lines are being encouraged to plan alternate routes now and use Metro only if absolutely necessary.

Metro announced both projects in February, scheduling the work for late summer when ridership is generally lighter.

One month from today, following Major League Baseball's All-Star Week, Metro will close two stations on the Red Line - Rhode Island Ave and Brookland - to complete structural repairs at Rhode Island Ave, Metro's oldest outdoor station. The work will begin Saturday, July 21, and continue through Labor Day, Monday, September 3. The structural work cannot be completed while trains are running on either track and will resolve platform conditions that affect the alignment between the platform and trains, presenting challenges for customers with disabilities.

Metro and the District Department of Transportation have worked together to develop a comprehensive alternate transportation plan that includes operating MetroExtra G9 service during all hours of the rail system, seven days a week, and using a dedicated bus lane along Rhode Island Avenue NE to provide a faster trip to and from Downtown DC.

Red Line customers are advised:

• Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland stations will be closed for 45 days, from July 21 through September 3.
• There will be no Red Line service between Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet U stations. Red Line customers should transfer to Green or Yellow line trains between Fort Totten and Gallery Place to avoid the work zone. Metro will add capacity to the Green/Yellow lines to accommodate Red Line riders, including running some Yellow Line trains to/from Greenbelt. During rush hours, Red Line trains will operate every 6 minutes between Shady Grove and NoMa-Gallaudet, and every 10 minutes between Glenmont and Fort Totten.
• For customers traveling to/from Brookland or Rhode Island Ave stations, free shuttle buses will provide alternate service between Fort Totten, Brookland, Rhode Island Ave, and NoMa-Gallaudet U stations. In addition, Metro will operate express shuttles between Brookland and Rhode Island Ave and the areas of Metro Center, Gallery Place and Union Station.
• MetroExtra G9 will operate at all hours the rail system is open, seven days per week, connecting Rhode Island Ave with Downtown DC and other rail and bus lines.
• To reduce travel times, Metro has received approval from the District Department of Transportation to use a new dedicated bus lane along Rhode Island Ave. NE for MetroExtra G9 from North Capitol St. to 12th St. NE. The lane will operate Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Rush Hour Promise will not be in effect for trips to or from stations between Glenmont and NoMa-Gallaudet U. The program will remain in effect for Red Line travel between Shady Grove and NoMa-Gallaudet U.

The second capital project will impact all Blue, Orange and Silver line riders for 10 commuting days in August as Metro completely rebuilds the sharpest and most heavily traveled curve in the Metrorail system, located between Metro Center and Smithsonian stations. Customers who normally use these lines are strongly encouraged to use alternate transportation during these days, as rail service will be significantly reduced.

Beginning Saturday, August 11, and continuing through Sunday, August 26, Metro crews will work around the clock to rebuild the rail infrastructure in the curve, including the installation of new rail, fasteners, and repair concrete pads that support the rails. During this time, Orange and Silver line trains will run only once every 20 minutes at all times of the day with single tracking in effect between McPherson Square and Smithsonian. The Blue Line will run only in Virginia between Franconia-Springfield and Arlington Cemetery, and customers traveling between Virginia and DC will need to use Yellow Line trains to cross the Potomac River.

Blue, Orange and Silver line customers are advised:

• The capital improvement project will run from Saturday, August 11, through Sunday, August 26. For 10 commuting days, all Orange, Silver and Blue line customers are encouraged to use alternate transportation, as rail service will be significantly reduced.
• Orange and Silver line trains will single track between McPherson Square and Smithsonian, with trains running only every 20 minutes at all times of the day.
• During rush hours, additional Yellow Line trains will operate every 16 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt, in addition to Blue Line trains running every 16 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Arlington Cemetery.
• Rush Hour Promise will not be in effect for trips on the Blue, Orange or Silver lines.

As a reminder, Metro in February also announced two smaller capital improvement projects that are scheduled to begin in November:

Friday, November 2 - Monday, November 5

• A four-day project (impacting two commuting days) to upgrade switches outside Reagan National Airport and install new concrete pads beneath the rails along the aerial structure at the airport station.
• Reagan National Airport and Crystal City stations will be closed.

Monday, November 26 - Sunday, December 9

• A two-week closure (impacting 10 commuting days) of the Yellow Line bridge to make structural repairs and rail infrastructure improvements, including grout pad reconstruction and fastener replacement.
• There will be no Yellow Line service between Virginia and DC. Yellow Line trains will run between Huntington and Reagan National Airport only.