Metro News Release
For immediate release: February 12, 2008
Metro to fix sagging platform at the Metro Center Metrorail station
Red, Blue and Orange Line Trains to share one track during the President's Day holiday weekend
Red, Blue and Orange Line customers should build 30 minutes of extra travel time into their schedules this 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 President’s Day holiday weekend.
Metro Center Platform Rehabilitation Schedule
Metro will perform platform structural rehabilitation work on the Red Line bridge at the Metro Center Metrorail station from Friday, February 15, 10 p.m., to Monday, February 18, midnight, 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 the three-day holiday weekend, 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.
“This weekend, we strongly encourage our customers who normally use the Red, Blue and Orange lines to build significantly more time into their schedule while we fix the Red Line bridge,” said Gerald Francis, Metro’s Deputy General Manager and Chief Executive Officer.
This weekend, the Verizon Center will host a children’s ice show. Metro reminds everyone attending the event to add at least 30 minutes into their travel time, as their waits will be longer for trains before and after the show.
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 Orange Line from Northern Virginia and transfer at Metro Center to the Red Line, can avoid waiting for a Red Line train to Gallery Place-Chinatown by exiting Metro Center at 11th and G or 12th and F Street and walking a few blocks to the Verizon Center.
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.
O Upon the conclusion of Verizon Center events, Metrorail operates special “Blue Line Shortcut” service trains, originating at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station on the Yellow Line traveling to the Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station on the Blue Line. The number of trains depends on the crowd size for each event.
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 8:41 am, February 12, 2008.