Photo by Dsade

Metro has announced that it will begin work to replace the track circuits at the site of the June 22 Red Line crash starting tonight, with work continuing throughout August. These are the same track circuits that the NTSB has connected to the cause of the accident, though an official cause has yet to be determined. Late night Red Line riders will be forced to contend with numerous schedule changes and station closings as a result of this work.

Red Line trains will share one track starting at 10 p.m. beginning tonight, every night, between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations. The Red Line will also be closed completely at Fort Totten on the weekends of August 14-16, and August 21-23. Green Line train service will continue at Fort Totten on those weekends.

WMATA says riders should continue to expect the same delays that they have been experiencing on the Red Line since the June 22 crash.

On the two weekends where there will be no Red Line trains serving Fort Totten, Red Line service will operate between Shady Grove and Brookland-CUA and between Glenmont and Takoma from 10 p.m. on Friday, August 14, to closing (midnight) on Sunday, August 16, and from 10 p.m. Friday, August 21, to closing (midnight) on Sunday, August 23. Free shuttle buses will take riders between Brookland-CUA, Fort Totten and Takoma.

Also note that as per usual, Metro’s Trip Planner will not reflect the impact of this work, so keep that mind when using the online tool.