Metro News Release

For immediate release: December 4, 2008

Track maintenance to affect Metro's Red and Orange lines this weekend


Red and Orange Line riders should add 25 to 30 minutes to their trips this weekend

Switch replacement work at the Friendship Heights Metrorail station on the Red Line and track maintenance on the Orange Lines this weekend (December 5-7) will cause inbound and outbound trains to take turns sharing one track.

Red Line Switch Maintenance

Metrorail customers traveling between the Medical Center and Van Ness-UDC Metrorail stations should add at least 30 minutes of travel time for their trips because of switch replacement work at the Friendship Heights Metrorail station.

A switch or “interlocking” is an intersection in the track, where trains can “switch” from one track to another, depending on their destination and route.

Inbound and outbound trains between Medical Center and Van Ness-UDC will share one track from 9 p.m., Friday, December 5, to closing (midnight) Sunday, December 7.

All Red Line trains to Glenmont will depart the Shady Grove Metrorail station every 20 minutes. To help expedite rail service, every other Red Line train traveling towards the Shady Grove Metrorail station will terminate at the Van Ness-UDC Metrorail station and return to the Glenmont Metrorail station every 10 minutes on Saturday, December 6, and Sunday, December 7, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Orange Line Track Maintenance

Metrorail customers traveling between the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations should add 25 minutes of travel time because personnel will replace crossties. Trains will share one track between these locations from 8 p.m., Friday, December 5, to closing (midnight), December 7. To help expedite rail travel back to Washington, D.C., every other Orange Line train in the direction of the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metrorail station will terminate at the West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail station and return to the New Carrollton Metrorail station.

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News release issued at 8:34 am, December 4, 2008.