Metro News Release

For immediate release: May 4, 2005

Metro Reports Fewer Train Delays

Metrorail riders may be noticing fewer delays. Rail service reliability has dramatically improved 34 percent from December through April, Metro officials say.

In December, there was a delay of four minutes or more nine times during an average weekday. By March, the average number of delays per weekday was reduced to seven and last month, the number of daily delays dropped by one to six. The figures include delays caused by breakdowns, sick passengers and police activities. The transit agency uses Mean Distance Between Delays to measure rail car reliability. In December, every 37,430 car miles, there was a breakdown that caused a train delay of four minutes or more. By April, the performance improved 42 percent to 53,213 miles, between delays.

Metrorail’s Chief Operating Officer Steve Feil attributed the recent track improvements such as track surfacing, track switch equipment renewal, rail replacement, and better performance by the rail cars brought on by engineering fixes made by ALSTOM, a contractor hired to improve railcar reliability.

Performance has improved despite about a 19 percent increase in ridership between December and April, Metro officials noted. The average weekday ridership in April was about 717,000. One-third of Metro’s top 30 ridership days were recorded in April.

"Putting rail supervisors on the platforms to help manage crowds, and help with mechanical failures and train recovery also has made a difference," Feil said. "We are confident we’ll see these performance measures increase further in the weeks and months ahead."

News release issued on May 4, 2005.