Metro News Release

For immediate release: June 7, 2013

Metro reminds Nats fans, Capital Pride attendees of weekend track work


Riders encouraged to allow extra travel time, load SmarTrip cards in advance

Metro is reminding Nationals fans and those planning to attend this weekend's Capital Pride festivities of rebuilding work that will affect Metrorail schedules on all lines.

Service adjustments will begin at 10 p.m. tonight (Friday, June 7) and continue through system closing on Sunday, June 9.

Throughout the weekend:

  • Red Line trains will operate every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont. From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, additional trains will operate between Grosvenor and NoMa-Gallaudet, resulting in service about every 12 minutes between these stations.
  • Orange Line trains will operate every 18 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton.
  • Blue Line trains will operate every 18 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center.
  • Yellow Line trains will operate every 18 minutes between Huntington and Fort Totten.
  • Green Line trains will operate every 18 minutes between Greenbelt and Branch Ave.

Passengers will experience the longer wait time on the platform; once a train departs a station, it is not expected to encounter delays en route. Riders can reduce their wait by using Metro's trip planner prior to traveling. Special schedules that reflect this weekend's work are now loaded into the trip planner.

Travel tips

  • Expect crowds due to events downtown, including Capital Pride and Nationals games. Allow extra travel time this weekend.
  • Many trains this weekend will operate with 8 cars, the longest possible length. Please spread out along the platform. The last two cars are often the least crowded.
  • To avoid lines at vending machines, be sure to load value on your SmarTrip card for an entire roundtrip -- in advance.  SmarTrip customers can add value online at smartrip.com.  
  • If you normally park at Shady Grove, Rockville, Twinbrook or White Flint, you might consider using Grosvenor Station this weekend instead. Grosvenor Station will have trains departing toward Downtown twice as frequently as stations to the north.
  • Plan your trip to avoid transferring between rail lines, if possible.  For example, if attending the Pride Parade, riders on the Green or Yellow lines should consider using Shaw-Howard or U Street stations, rather than transferring to the Red Line.  Similarly, Nats fans on the Blue or Orange lines should consider walking from Capitol South, rather than transferring to the Green Line.
  • Nats fans who drive and park at a Metro station might consider using Anacostia Station, which has more than 800 parking spaces (free on weekends), and is located one stop from Navy Yard-Ballpark on the Green Line.
  • Following the Capital Pride festival on Pennsylvania Avenue, participants are encouraged to walk to a station on the same line as their destination. Red Line riders should use Metro Center, Gallery Place or Judiciary Square.  Green or Yellow line riders should use Gallery Place or Archives.  Blue or Orange line riders should use Metro Center or Federal Triangle.
  • Taking Metrobus may be good alternative for some riders.  To see if Metrobus is an option, use Metro's online trip planner and select the "bus only" option.

Metro is investing $5.5 billion to install new rail, ties, platforms, escalators, signals, lighting, communication systems, and more. It represents the largest capital investment -- and work effort -- since the system's original construction in the early 1970s.

News release issued at 2:04 pm, June 7, 2013.