Photo by Rich Renomeron
The end is nearing for Metro’s yearlong SafeTrack maintenance plan, but not before riders face segment shutdowns on the Orange and Red Lines.
New Carrollton, Landover, Cheverly, Deanwood, and Minnesota Avenue stations will be closed from May 16 through June 15 for Surge 15, Metro officials announced on Friday. Buses will replace trains along the Orange Line route from Maryland to Northeast, D.C.
Here’s how the Orange, Silver, and Blue Lines will run during the surge:
- Orange Line trains will operate between Vienna and Largo Town Center every 6-8 minutes during rush hours.
- Silver Line trains will operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Stadium-Armory every 12 minutes (normally 6 minutes) during rush hours.
- Blue Line trains will operate every 12 minutes, as usual, between Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center.
Metro has also announced that SafeTrack’s final surge will shutter Shady Grove and Rockville stations on the Red Line. The transit system will provide buses between Shady Grove and Twinbrook stations.
While Metro hasn’t announced dates for Surge 16, officials say it will happen some time after Surge 15 and run through late June. Service details will be announced in the coming weeks.
By the time all is said and done, WMATA says that workers will have achieved three years of work in one. Since SafeTrack launched, workers have replaced nearly 35,000 crossties, more than 21,000 fasteners, and more than 41,000 linear feet of rail, according to Metro.
When the program concludes, the transit system will run a new preventive maintenance program “that meets industry standards to ensure long-term safety and reliability.”
But riders will still have to manage without the late-night service of the past. General Manager Paul Wiedefeld put late-night service on hold during SafeTrack and Metro’s board approved the service cut for two years.
