Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 6, 2005

Four Metrorail Orange and Blue Line Stations To be Closed this Weekend

Weekend Service Changes also Scheduled for the Green and Red Lines

This Columbus Day weekend, Metro will conduct a major track rehabilitation project on the Blue and Orange lines that will result in the closure of the Minnesota Avenue and Deanwood Metrorail stations (Orange Line), and the Benning Road and Capitol Heights Metrorail stations (Blue Line) from Friday night through Sunday night. Free shuttle bus services will be available between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly and between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant. Passengers traveling between these locations should add at least 30 minutes of additional travel time.

Metro advises passengers attending this weekend’s DC Festival on the National Mall to add extra time into their schedules due to this weekend’s work on the Orange and Blue Lines. Passengers are advised to use stations located on the Yellow, Green, and Red Lines near the National Mall including Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter, L’Enfant Plaza and Metro Center.

When: Friday, October 7, 10 p.m. to Sunday, October 9, midnight.

This weekend, Metro personnel will replace the grout pads on the rail bridge outside the Stadium-Armory Metrorail station. This work will require Metro personnel to elevate the pillars along a portion of the rail bridge and insert new pads beneath the pillars. Once the new pads are inserted, the pillars will be lowered onto the new pads.

To perform this work, Orange Line trains will not operate between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly, resulting in the closure of the Minnesota Avenue and Deanwood Metrorail stations. Blue Line trains will not operate between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant, resulting in the closure of the Benning Road and Capitol Heights Metrorail stations.

Orange Line trains will operate in two sections from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to Stadium-Armory, and from New Carrollton to Cheverly. Blue Line trains will operate in two sections from Franconia-Springfield to Stadium-Armory, and from Largo Town Center to Addison Road-Seat Pleasant.

Free shuttle bus service will operate every 5 minutes during the day between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly and between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road Seat-Pleasant during the shutdown. Passengers can access free shuttle bus service directly in front of each Metrorail station bus bay entrance.

To speed the flow of rail travel into downtown Washington and Northern Virginia, every other Orange and Blue Line traveling to Stadium-Armory will terminate at Eastern Market and return back to the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and Franconia-Springfield Metrorail stations.

To alert passengers about this work, Metro will post information to its Web site at www.metroopensdoors.com , send e-Alerts, hang signs and banners in key stations, place notices on station kiosks, make train and system announcements, and have Metro employees who volunteer their time to serve as Metro Information Persons providing customer service information.

On Saturday, October 8, and Sunday, October 9, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Metro will conduct train tests. All Green Line trains will share one track between Greenbelt and the Prince George’s Plaza Metrorail stations, while testing occurs. Passengers should add 10 to 15 minutes of additional time to their travel because of these tests.

On Friday, October 7, from 10 p.m. to closing (3.a.m.), and Saturday, October 8, from midnight to closing (3 a.m.), Metro personnel will be installing communications cables. All Red Line trains will share one track between Judiciary Square and Rhode Island Avenue. Passengers should add 10 to 15 minutes of additional travel time because of this work.

For more information on traveling by Metrobus or Metrorail, customers may call (202) 637-7000 or TTY (202) 638-3780. Additional information is available on Metro’s web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.

News release issued on October 6, 2005.