Metro News Release
For immediate release: July 13, 2011
Metro releases major track work calendar
Communities and customers encouraged to use as event and travel planning tool
Metro today took the unprecedented step of releasing a major track work calendar that details its construction plans through this fiscal year. The calendar establishes the accelerated work plan to address NTSB recommendations and to get projects done quickly and safely, while inconveniencing fewer customers.
The calendar — available at wmata.com/trackwork — shows the date, affected stations, busing plan and a description of the work to be performed.
"We want our customers, community groups and other stakeholders to have as much advance notice as possible of the major projects we plan to undertake in the next year," said Richard Sarles, Metro General Manager & Chief Executive Officer. "It is our hope that the communities we serve will find this a useful tool when planning special events."
Metro's new approach to major track work calls for replacing trains with buses to contain the weekend inconvenience associated with out-of-service tracks. In the past, Metro has relied more on weekend single tracking to operate trains around major work areas. When single tracking is in effect, trains must wait their turn, leading to delays and affecting service from one end of a line to the other. Moreover, the reduced track capacity often requires reduced frequency of trains line-wide.
By isolating work zones, Metro can operate near-normal weekend service levels elsewhere on a line where major track work is taking place.
"Focusing our resources in centralized locations will help reduce weekend single tracking and customer impacts elsewhere on the rail system," said Dave Kubicek, Metro’s Deputy General Manager of Operations.
Using the new approach to track work will enable Metro to complete NTSB-recommended track circuit replacement on the Red Line about 18 months sooner – by this time next year, as opposed to late 2013 if the work only took place during non-revenue hours.
Metro will still use single tracking to perform track work for smaller projects on weekends and during midday and late night hours on weekdays. However, single tracking will not be planned on lines where buses are replacing trains.
News release issued at 11:04 am, July 13, 2011.