Metro News Release

For immediate release: October 13, 2009

Metro successfully completes Columbus Day weekend track work

Waterfront-SEU, Archives-Navy Mem’l-Penn Quarter and Green Line service at L’Enfant Plaza reopened on-time

The replacement of the entire rail interlocking (four switches) at the L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station on the Yellow and Green Line, and the bridge inspection and maintenance work on the Yellow Line bridge over the Potomac River during the three-day Columbus Day weekend was completed successfully and all three stations reopened on time -- at 5 a.m. today, Tuesday, Oct. 13.

“We thank our customers for their patience and understanding of the value of these projects while we completed this safety-sensitive work over the Columbus Day holiday weekend,” said Gerald C. Francis, Metro’s Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer.

In addition to replacing four rail switches at the L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station on the Green and Yellow Line platform, Metro’s track department replaced 650 anchor bolts, 200 feet of rail, 250 fasteners, and 35 third rail insulators on the Yellow Line bridge that connects the L’Enfant Plaza and Pentagon Metrorail stations over the Potomac River.

The free shuttle buses were busy throughout the weekend with buses filling up as trains emptied at the Navy Yard, Anacostia and Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metrorail stations. Approximately 64,228 people used the shuttle buses to help complete their trips during the entire weekend of work.

Eighty-eight additional Metro employees along with Metro Transit Police officers were on site throughout Columbus Day weekend guiding customers from the rail platforms to the shuttle buses to assist them in completing their trips.

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

News release issued at 10:38 am, October 13, 2009.