Metro News Release
For immediate release: July 7, 2005
Metro Committee Endorses Expansion of Three Rail Yards to Coincide with Future Eight-Car Train Operations
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) Board Planning and Development Committee today endorsed the expansion of three of its rail yards. The contracts total $141.4 million to modify the Shady Grove, Greenbelt and Brentwood rail yards as part of the continuing Metro Matters program to increase rail car capacity by expanding to eight-car train operations.
Final approval of the contract is expected at the full Metro Board of Directors meeting on July 21.
Modifications to the Greenbelt rail yard would include the construction of a new, two-story, 72,000 square foot facility and improvements to the existing rail car facility and the Shady Grove rail yard expansion would include the construction of a new four-track, 16-bay service and inspection maintenance facility. Electrical, mechanical, traction power, train control, and communications rooms and other systems would be modified to accommodate the new shop areas and tracks at Greenbelt and Shady Grove.
At the Brentwood rail yard, several improvements would occur as the existing heavy maintenance shop would be converted to a 12-car service and inspection shop with the addition of three new tracks; the consolidation of the heavy maintenance function from Brentwood yard into the existing Greenbelt rail yard and relocation of light maintenance and office areas to the new Greenbelt facility. Work at this site would also include the necessary upgrades of the electrical, mechanical, traction power, train control, communications and other systems.
"These enhancements are critical as Metro prepares to accept its order of 122 new series 6000 rail cars and ultimately move to eight-car train operations in the next two to three years," said Jim Haggins, Director of Construction for Metro. "Modifications at these locations will increase overall rail yard capacity by 30 percent. This means more space for improved maintenance and reliability to the rail fleet as we prepare for eight-car train service."
The design-build team of Hensel Phelps Construction would modify Greenbelt and Shady Grove for a total of $98.32 million. Clark Design Build would work on the Brentwood Yard expansion project for a total of $43.1 million.
Metro expects design and construction to begin at these locations by this August and to conclude by January 2008.
Last fall, the Metro Board approved a six-year $3.3 billion funding plan to help pay for Metro’s short-term capital needs, commonly known as "Metro Matters." (The $3.3 billion includes $1.8 billion in previously approved funding, and $1.5 billion in new commitments.)
Some of the short-term needs include basic infrastructure investments (fixing leaking tunnels, upgrading power and communications systems); the purchase of 122 new rail cars to expand to eight-car train operations; and the purchase of 185 more buses.
Today’s preliminary approval is under one of Metro’s four urgent priorities, the rail car program. This program includes the purchase of 122 new rail cars, expansion of three rail yards, and system improvements for eight-car train operations.
News release issued on July 7, 2005.