Metro News Release

For immediate release: September 25, 2003

Metro announces Columbus Day weekend rehabilitation track work

Work to affect customers who use the Red Line

This Columbus Day weekend, as part of its Infrastructure Renewal Program to ensure safe and reliable transportation, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) will conduct a major track rehabilitation project on the Red Line. To minimize customer inconvenience, this major rehabilitation project will occur over the Columbus Day weekend, and customers are advised to plan accordingly.The major rehabilitation project scheduled for Columbus Day weekend is:Rhode Island Avenue - Switch Replacement When: Friday, October 10, 10 p.m., to Monday, October 13, midnight.Metro personnel will replace the switch outside the Rhode Island Avenue Metrorail station on the Red Line. 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. This rehabilitation work must be done as a preventive measure to assure service quality and safe operation through Rhode Island Avenue.To perform this work, Metro will institute the following Columbus Day Weekend service pattern:All Metrorail Red Line service will be suspended between Union Station and Fort Totten, resulting in the closure of the Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland-CUA Metrorail stations.Metrorail Red Line service will operate between Shady Grove and Union Station, and between Glenmont and Fort Totten.Metro will run free shuttle buses between Fort Totten and Union Station with stops at the Brookland-CUA and Rhode Island Avenue Metrorail stations. Customers who would normally board at Brookland-CUA or Rhode Island Avenue will need to take a free shuttle bus from those stations to either Union Station or Fort Totten, depending on their direction of travel.Throughout the holiday weekend, Metrorail Red Line trains will operate every 6-8 minutes during the day, and every 12-15 minutes during the evening between Shady Grove and Union Station, and between Glenmont and Fort Totten.Metro will add extra trains on the Green Line between Fort Totten and Gallery Place-Chinatown to accommodate extra customers. Customers traveling between Glenmont and Takoma on the Red Line can transfer to the Green Line at Fort Totten, travel to Gallery Place-Chinatown, and transfer back to the Red Line toward Shady Grove. Customers traveling on the Red Line to Takoma and all stops to Glenmont can transfer to the Green Line at Gallery Place-Chinatown, travel to Fort Totten, and transfer back to the Red Line. "Throughout the Columbus Day weekend, we strongly encourage our customers who are traveling to, or coming from Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring, and Takoma, to transfer at Fort Totten and ride the Green Line for service into downtown D.C.," said Lem Proctor, Chief Operating Officer for Rail. "We will operate additional trains on the Green Line throughout the holiday weekend to handle the additional demand expected for weekend activities throughout the nation’s capital."To alert customers about these rehabilitation projects, regular 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. "We recognize the inconvenience this phase of our Metro Infrastructure Renewal Program will cause, and at the same time, we want our customers to know that we will be there for them, providing the best possible level of service. It may take customers slightly longer to get to where they are going, but they will arrive at their destinations safely," said Mr. Proctor. "We want our customers to know how much we appreciate their patience as we continue this important, intensive work."The Ride Guide, located on Metro’s Web site, will not reflect the impact of this work on its schedules. Customers should allow more time 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.

News release issued on September 25, 2003.