Metro News Release
For immediate release: January 14, 2008
Metro to fix sagging platform at the Metro Center Metrorail station
Red, Blue and Orange Line Trains to share one track during the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Presidents Day holiday weekends
Red, Blue and Orange Line customers should build 30 minutes of extra travel time into their schedules this weekend and President’s Day weekend as Metro officials work to fix the sagging Red Line platform at Metro Center. As part of its infrastructure renewal program to ensure safe and reliable transportation, Metro is conducting major platform rehabilitation work at the Metro Center Metrorail station. To minimize customer inconvenience, this major rehabilitation project will occur over the Martin Luther King and President’s Day holiday weekends.
Metro Center Platform Rehabilitation Schedule
Friday, January 18, 10 p.m., to Monday, January 21, midnight.
Friday, February 15, 10 p.m., to Monday, February 18, midnight.
Metro will perform platform structural rehabilitation work on the Red Line bridge at the Metro Center Metrorail station because the bridge is sagging. This will include the installation of new bearing pads that support the Red Line bridge over the Blue and Orange lines, granite platform and ceiling tile replacement, expansion joint and structural concrete repairs.
The Metro Center Metrorail station will be open during the construction project. However, during both three-day holiday weekends, Metro will implement the following service plan on the Red, Blue and Orange Lines:
Red Line Service
O All Red Line trains will depart the Shady Grove and Glenmont Metrorail stations every nine minutes.
O All Red Line trains will share one track between the Farragut North and Judiciary Square Metrorail Stations and operate every 18 minutes
O Prior to entering the single track area, the first trains to arrive at the Dupont Circle and Judiciary Square Metrorail stations respectively will hold for at least six minutes, waiting for rail traffic to clear from the opposite direction, and to wait for the following train to be within two minutes of that first train holding. To expedite train traffic, two trains in a row will share the same track and head in the same direction, between Farragut North and Judiciary Square. Those trains will be about two minutes apart. Then two trains will be permitted to head in the opposite direction.
O After 10 p.m., on Friday, and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, all Red Line trains will depart every approximately 20 minutes from the Shady Grove and Glenmont Metrorail stations.
O As a result of this project and the longer waits for trains, all Red Line trains will operate with a combination of six and eight cars.
Blue and Orange Line Service
O During the day, all Blue and Orange Line trains will depart approximately 16 minutes from the Franconia-Springfield, Largo Town Center, Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and New Carrollton Metrorail stations.
O All Blue and Orange Line trains will share one track approximately 18 minutes between the Farragut West and Smithsonian Metrorail stations.
O Prior to entering the single track area, the first train to arrive at the Farragut West and Smithsonian Metrorail stations respectively will hold for at least six minutes, waiting for rail traffic to clear from the opposite direction, and to wait for the following train to be within two minutes of that first train holding. To expedite train traffic, two trains in a row will share the same track and head in the same direction, between McPherson Square and Smithsonian. Those trains will be about two minutes apart. Then two trains will head in the opposite direction.
O After 10 p.m., on Friday, and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, all Blue and Orange Line trains will depart every approximately 20 minutes from the Franconia-Springfield, Largo Town Center, Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and New Carrollton Metrorail stations.
O As a result of this project and the longer waits for trains, all Blue and Orange Line trains will operate with a combination of six and eight cars.
“During the Martin Luther King, Jr. and President’s Day weekends, we strongly encourage our customers who normally use the Red, Blue and Orange lines to build extra time into their schedule while we fix the Red Line bridge,” said Gerald Francis, Metro’s Deputy General Manager and Chief Executive Officer.
On the weekends of January 18-21, and February 15-18, several sporting events and an ice show will occur at the Verizon Center. Metro reminds everyone attending these events to add at least 30 minutes into their travel time, as their waits will be longer for trains before and after each event.
Verizon Center Travel Tips
O Customers who ride the Blue Line from Northern Virginia and normally transfer at Metro Center to the Red Line, should transfer to the Yellow Line. The last Yellow Line transfer point is the Pentagon station.
O Customers who ride the Blue and Orange Line from Prince George’s County, and normally transfer at Metro Center to the Red Line, should transfer at L’Enfant Plaza and ride either the Yellow or Green Line to Gallery Place-Chinatown.
O Customers who ride the Red Line from Glenmont and Silver Spring and normally exit at Gallery Place-Chinatown, should exit at Judiciary Square or transfer to the Green and Yellow Line at the Fort Totten Metrorail station.
O Upon the conclusion of Verizon Center events, Red Line riders wishing to avoid the crowds and the single tracking at Gallery Place-Chinatown should walk two blocks on F Street and use the Judiciary Square Metrorail station.
To alert customers about this project, signs will be placed in Metrorail stations and station and train announcements will be made throughout the Metrorail system. Additional information will be available on Metro’s Web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.
The Trip Planner, located on Metro’s Web site, will not reflect the impact of this work on its schedules. Customers should allow at least 30 minutes extra for their trips because of this work. For more information on traveling by Metrobus or Metrorail, customers may call (202) 637-7000 or TTY (202) 638-3780.
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News release issued at 12:00 am, January 14, 2008.