Metro News Release

For immediate release: September 10, 2009

Metro's Blue and Orange lines about to get a major overhaul

Program includes station, elevator and escalator rehabilitation

Metro's Board Planning, Development and Real Estate committee today (September 10) gave preliminarily approval to the transit agency=s second system infrastructure and rehabilitation program designed to cover all aspects of maintenance repairs throughout the Metrorail system. This program is scheduled for overhauling the Blue and Orange lines between the Stadium-Armory and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail stations. The $380 million maintenance project will encompass 24 miles of mainline track and 20 Metrorail stations.

“This type of work is vital to maintaining the rail system and keeping the system operating as safely as possible,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe.

Work to be performed on the Blue and Orange Line includes upgrading traction power, automatic train control and communications; replacing tunnel lights, rehabilitating tunnel ventilation and fire stand pipes, upgrading the public address and closed circuit video camera system; station walls, replacing and rehabilitating air conditioning and ventilation equipment; changing out lighting; and rehabilitating elevators and escalators.

The first maintenance program is scheduled for the Red Line between the Dupont Circle and Silver Spring Metrorail stations in early 2010. The rehabilitation program is the first in a series of contracts for all five Metrorail lines as part of an overall system infrastructure renewal program.

The Metro Board will vote to initiate a contract on the program at the September 24 Board of Directors meeting. Metro expects to award a contract for this scope of work next summer.

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Media contact for this news release: Steven Taubenkibel at 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.

News release issued at 4:40 pm, September 10, 2009.