Metro News Release
For immediate release: July 23, 2012
Metro weekend track work July 27-29, 2012
Buses replace Red Line trains between Grosvenor & Friendship Heights and Blue Line trains between Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street
The massive effort to rebuild Metrorail will continue over the weekend of July 27-29 on the Red, Blue, Orange and Green Lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday and continue through system closing on Sunday.
Buses will replace Red Line trains between Grosvenor and Friendship Heights stations to allow for rail renewal/replacement, structural repairs, tunnel leak mitigation and related improvements. Two stations -- Medical Center and Bethesda -- will be closed. Red Line trains will operate in two segments: between Shady Grove and Grosvenor and between Friendship Heights and Glenmont. On each segment, trains will operate every 10 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. and at regular weekend intervals at other times. Customers traveling through the work zone should allow about 30 minutes of additional travel time. View Advisory
Buses will replace Blue Line trains at Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street stations to allow for rail tie and insulator renewal, track maintenance, bridge deck repair and cable installation. Blue Line trains will operate between Largo Town Center and Huntington stations at regular weekend service intervals. Free shuttle buses will operate between Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Avenue stations. (Note: All connections to shuttle buses will take place at Eisenhower Avenue Station.) Customers traveling to/from Franconia-Springfield or Van Dorn Street stations should allow 30 minutes of additional travel time. View Advisory
Orange Line trains will single track between East Falls Church and West Falls Church to allow for work associated with the Silver Line extension and between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly for platform reconstruction. Throughout the weekend, Orange Line trains will depart Vienna and New Carrollton every 24 minutes. On Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., additional trains will operate between Vienna and Stadium-Armory, providing service an average of every 12 minutes. Customers should allow additional travel time. View Advisory
Green Line trains will single track between Fort Totten and Prince George's Plaza to allow for track maintenance, tie and fastener renewal and third-rail power improvements throughout the weekend, every 16 minutes. Customers should allow about 10 minutes of additional travel time. As a result of the work zone, all Yellow Line trains will operate between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square only. Customers traveling to/from stations north of Mount Vernon Square should use Green Line trains to complete their trip. View Advisory
Metro is advancing Metro Forward, a six-year, $5 billion Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that is focused on safety and bringing the Metro system into a state of good repair. In FY2012, Metro Forward includes projects to replace escalators; retrofit track; replace critical track circuitry and equipment along the right of way; rehabilitate third-rail power systems, running rail and track pads; modernize 12 stations; replace 100 Metro buses and the rehabilitate 100 more; renovate three bus garages; and install 30 new track turnouts.
The Trip Planner on Metro’s website will not reflect the impact of this work on schedules. Customers are encouraged to sign up for MetroAlerts (wmata.com/metroalerts) to receive service information via email or text message.
For more information on traveling by Metrobus or Metrorail, customers may call 202-637-7000 or TTY 202-638-3780, or visit wmata.com.
News release issued at 2:42 pm, July 23, 2012.