Metro News Release

For immediate release: July 22, 2009

Takoma Metrorail station to remain open Thursday and Friday

Expect fewer trains, slower service to continue on Red Line

The Takoma Metrorail station on the Red Line will remain open all day, from 5 a.m. to midnight, on Thursday, July 23, and from 5 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday, July 24. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will not be working on the tracks between the Takoma and Fort Totten Metrorail stations.

However, Red Line riders should expect fewer and slower-moving trains on the line while the NTSB continues its investigation into the cause of the June 22 train accident near the Fort Totten Metrorail station.

At this point, it is unclear what the NTSB’s needs may be after Friday and the impact on Metrorail service. In the meantime, passengers can expect that their trips may take an additional 30 minutes or possibly more to complete, and they should build that added time into their plans.

Trains must continue to move one at a time at a reduced speed between the Takoma and Fort Totten Metrorail stations. This causes the other trains along the line to move slower and wait for the ones that are passing through the accident area. It also results in fewer trains along the busy Red Line because the system’s ability to move more trains is impacted when they must move one at a time between the two stations.

If trains get backed up, it is possible that some may be offloaded to turn trains around. This maneuver will allow Metro to get some trains to Glenmont, which in turn can provide more service for people traveling from Glenmont or Silver Spring into downtown Washington.

Media contact for this news release: Cathy Asato or Lisa Farbstein  at 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.

News release issued at 3:12 pm, July 22, 2009.