Metro News Release
For immediate release: May 11, 2006
Major Weekend Track Work to Significantly Disrupt Metro’s Blue and Yellow Lines
Passengers Can Expect Significant Delays as all Blue and Yellow Line Trains Will Operate Every 20 Minutes Due to Track Work Maintenance on Both Lines Free Shuttle Buses to Operate from Franconia-Springfield to the Pentagon
This weekend, Metro will conduct two separate major track rehabilitation projects that will greatly impact passengers using the Blue and Yellow Lines. Trains will operate every 20 minutes. Customers who normally use these lines can expect significantly longer waits for trains and may wish to consider using alternate transportation. All Blue and Yellow Line trains will operate with six cars. The schedule of work is below:
Braddock Road - Switch Replacement
When: Friday, May 12, 10 p.m. to Sunday, May 14, midnight.
Metro will replace the track switch outside the Braddock Road Metrorail station on the southern end of the Blue and Yellow Lines. 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 work must be done as a preventive measure to assure service quality and safe operation through the Braddock Road area.
Stadium-Armory to Addison Road-Seat Pleasant - Floating Slab Replacement
When: Friday, May 12, 10 p.m. to Sunday, May 14, midnight.
Metro will conduct a "floating slab" project between the Stadium-Armory and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant Metrorail stations on the northern end of the Blue Line. "Floating slabs" are large sections of concrete, which rest on doughnut-shaped, "rubber" pads. Because the concrete slabs rest on these pads, thereby not touching the ground, these concrete sections seem to "float" above the ground, hence the term, "floating slabs." The "floating slabs" support the tracks and absorb the vibration and noise from trains.
To perform this work, Metro will institute the following Blue and Yellow Line weekend service pattern:
Blue and Yellow Line trains will operate every 20 minutes during the weekend. (On Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, Blue and Yellow Line trains normally operate every 12 to 20 minutes from the end of each rail line.)
Blue Line trains will operate in two sections: between Franconia-Springfield and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; and between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Largo Town Center.
Yellow Line trains will operate in two sections: between Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; and between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Huntington.
All Blue and Yellow Line trains will share one track between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the King Street Metrorail stations.
Metro will operate free express shuttle bus service every 10 minutes between the Franconia-Springfield and Pentagon Metrorail stations for people wishing to bypass the Braddock Road switch replacement work.
As a result of the floating slab project, Blue Line trains will share one track between Addison Road-Seat Pleasant and the Stadium-Armory Metrorail stations.
Blue and Yellow Line trains will operate with six cars.
To alert customers about this work, Metro will have signs in key stations, place notices on station kiosks, make train and system announcements and have rail supervisors dispatched to several stations where track work will occur. Additional information is available on Metro’s web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.
The Trip Planner, 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 May 11, 2006.