Metro News Release
For immediate release: February 12, 2007
Metro Outlines Winter Weather Preparations for Tuesday
Metro is getting ready for snow, sleet and freezing rain tomorrow. With a commitment to operating a safe rail and bus system, the transit agency is preparing by installing deicing equipment on some passenger trains, “hardening” its fleet of rail cars to better handle the snow and relying on heater tape to keep ice and snow off of the electrified third rail that provides electricity to power the trains.
Metro’s plans for Tuesday, February 13 are:
Metrorail
▸ Metrorail will operate on a normal weekday schedule (rail service hours are 5 a.m. to midnight). Trains will operate with four and six cars.
▸ 20 trains will be equipped with de-icing equipment to combat snow and ice on the third rail. Twelve trains will operate in regular passenger service on all rail lines with the remaining eight trains in rail yards. These trains will be in service during the day, beginning at 5 a.m., Tuesday and will operate throughout the day.
▸ Passengers will see the de-icing equipment inside those 12 trains. It is neither dangerous nor flammable, and passengers should not be concerned that it is aboard their train. If they prefer not to be in a rail car with the equipment, they can move to another rail car. Those same trains also will have special scrapers to help keep ice off of the third rail. If the third rail has ice build-up on it, it does not allow for the free flow of electricity from the rail to power the train. Keeping the third rail ice-free is a
continuous process.
▸ Metro will use “heater tape” which has been installed on sections of track with significant grades/inclines and in critical areas in the rail yards. The heater tape, which has been in use throughout the winter, is a cable clipped onto the third rail that is turned on when temperatures dip below the freezing mark to keep the third rail warm enough to prevent snow and ice from building-up.
▸ Metro railcar maintenance staff has also “hardened” its fleet of rail cars by protecting the undercarriage motors from snow ingestion and electrical short circuits that are caused by water/snow and debris. The traction motors have been coated with a protective material to help prevent the ingestion of snow and water.
▸ Metro officials will monitor weather forecasts and conditions, and preparing accordingly.
▸ Maintenance personnel will report at normal times Tuesday, to treat station entrances, platforms and parking facilities with salt and remove accumulated snow as needed.
Metrobus
▸ Metrobus will operate on a normal weekday schedule. Metrobuses will operate as road conditions dictate, so passengers should expect possible detours and delays due to changing road conditions on Tuesday.
MetroAccess
▸ MetroAccess will operate as road conditions dictate, so passengers should expect possible detours and delays due to changing road conditions. If a MetroAccess passenger has a scheduled ride on Tuesday, and it is not an emergency trip, they are encouraged to reschedule their trip to another day. Otherwise, passengers with scheduled rides should call (301) 562-5360 for a status update of their ride.
Riders
▸ Riders are advised to build extra time into their travel plans. They should also watch their step as wet tiles and steps may get slippery.
Metro Snow Facts
▸ Metro has 2,400 tons of bulk rock salt to treat our roadways and parking lots. The salt is stored in seven salt domes and one storage building around the system. Each dome holds approximately 300 tons of rock salt.
▸ Metro has 17,000, 50-pound bags of de-icer (calcium chloride) for treating sidewalks and platforms.
▸ Metro has 71 tractors, 96 snow brooms, and 113 snow blowers to remove snow from Metro-owned facilities.
▸ Metro has three contractors to support efforts if snow accumulation reaches four inches or more. They are primarily used to clear parking lots.
▸ Metro has several hundred personnel to aid in the support of the snow removal effort: day shift, evening shift and midnight shift.
###
News release issued at 12:00 am, February 12, 2007.