Metro News Release

For immediate release: June 14, 2005

Metro to run eight-car trains to ease Blue and Orange Line delays

Metro plans to run eight-car trains during afternoon rush hour to ease Blue and Orange Line delays due to a track equipment malfunction.

Problems with a track circuit began Tuesday, June 7, just after 6 p.m. in the tunnel between Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn. Computers ensure that trains maintain a certain distance between each other. But the distances weren’t being automatically maintained in a 1,000 foot section of track between Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn because of a malfunction of a track circuit. As a precaution, trains have been operated manually between the two stations - a one mile distance -- until the problem is fixed.

"This condition has caused minor delays to passengers between the two stations. At the same time, more significant delays were experienced by passengers traveling to the end of the line stations at Vienna and Franconia-Springfield," said Jim Hughes, acting deputy general manager of operations.

Riders experienced significant delays late Friday afternoon after Metro engineers investigating the malfunction accidently burned out a circuit board. The equipment damaged by testing was repaired within three-and-a-half hours.

"We should have done a better job of communicating the delays to our customers. This is an example of how quickly a minor delay can turn into a major delay in this portion of our rail system," said Richard A. White, Metro General Manager and CEO.

Metro will run nine, 8-car trains every two-and-a-half minutes on the Orange Line during afternoon rush hours until the malfunction is fixed.

"We’re working around-the-clock to fix this problem. Trains will continue to operate safely in manual mode between the two stations until the problem is resolved," Hughes said.

News release issued on June 14, 2005.