Metro News Release
For immediate release: March 7, 2011
Construction of rail to Dulles to halt service between East Falls Church and West Falls Church during the weekends of March 11-13 and March 18-20
Additional rail improvements scheduled for the Red, Blue, Orange and Yellow Lines; customers should visit metroopensdoors.com for service details
There will be no train service between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations during the weekends of March 11 to 13 and March 18 to 20 to allow the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project to continue major construction activities that will eventually connect the new rail line to the existing Metrorail system.
From 10 p.m., Friday, March 11 to closing (midnight) on Sunday, March 13, and again the following weekend from 10 p.m., Friday, March 18 to closing (midnight) on Sunday, March 20, the Orange Line will be split in two sections, the first running from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations, and the second between the New Carrollton and East Falls Church Metrorail stations. The East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations will remain open.
To help riders get through the work zone, Metro will operate free shuttle buses between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations. Customers should add an extra 30 minutes into their travel plans if they need to pass through the work zone.
To alert customers about this work, Metro will send e-Alerts, post signs in key stations, place notices on station kiosks, advertise in local papers and make train and system announcements. Additional information will be available on Metro's web site at www.metroopensdoors.com.
Extra Metro employees will be available at the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations to help customers navigate around the weekend closures using the free shuttle bus service.
During these two weekends, the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project contractors will test critical infrastructure support systems which are necessary to connect the new rail line to the Orange Line. Metro personnel will also be working between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations installing new rail, new ties and new insulators to make it a smoother ride for Orange Line customers.
Orange Line Service
From 10 p.m., Friday, March 11 to closing on Sunday, March 13, and from 10 p.m., Friday, March 18 to closing on Sunday, March 20, the Orange Line will be split in two sections, the first operating between the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and West Falls Church-VT/UVA Metrorail stations, and the second between the East Falls Church and New Carrollton Metrorail stations.
March 11-13 and 18-20 Weekend Shuttle Bus Service
From 10 p.m., Friday, March 11, to closing on Sunday, March 13, and again from 10 p.m., Friday, March 18 to closing on Sunday, March 20, Metro will operate free shuttle bus service between the East Falls Church (bus bays C &D) and West Falls Church-VT/UVA (bus loop outside the Kiss & Ride south entrance of station) Metrorail stations. The weekend’s free shuttle buses will operate to meet each train.
March 11-13 and March 18-20 Weekend Red Line Service
From 10 p.m., Friday, March 11 to closing on Sunday, March 13, and again from March 18 to March 20, Red Line, trains will share one track between the Forest Glen and Glenmont Metrorail stations as personnel replace rail switches outside the Wheaton Metrorail station. This work is to comply with a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation. Customers traveling between these stations should add 20 minutes to their travel times. Red Line trains will also share one track between the Twinbrook and Grosvenor-Strathmore Metrorail stations as personnel make repairs to the White Flint Metrorail station platform. Customers traveling between these stations should also add 20 minutes to their travel times.
March 11-13 Blue and Orange Line Service
From 10 p.m., Friday, March 11 to closing on Sunday, March 13, Blue and Orange Line trains will share one track between the Federal Center SW and Eastern Market Metrorail stations as personnel install communication cables to ultimately improve cell phone coverage. Customers traveling between these stations should also add 20 minutes to their travel times.
March 18-20 Blue and Yellow Line Service
From 10 p.m., Friday, March 18 to closing on Sunday, March 20, Blue Line trains will share one track between the Stadium-Armory and Addison Road-Seat Pleasant Metrorail stations as personnel make repairs to the floating slabs underneath the rails in that area to make it for a smoother ride. Customers traveling between these stations should also add 20 minutes to their travel times.
From 10 p.m., Friday, March 18 to closing on Sunday, March 20, Yellow Line trains will share one track between the Pentagon City and L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail stations as personnel install communication cables to ultimately improve cell phone coverage and weld new rail in that area. Customers traveling between these stations should also add 20 minutes to their travel times.
The Trip Planner on Metro’s Web site will not reflect the impact of this work on its schedules. For more information on traveling by Metrobus or Metrorail, customers may call (202) 637-7000 or TTY (202) 638-3780, or visit www.metroopensdoors.com.
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News release issued at 11:13 am, March 7, 2011.