Photo by Kristine Marsh

Ever since Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld first announced the temporary end of late-night weekend service during the year of SafeTrack, there has been rampant speculation that he would move to make it permanent. The time has come.

Wiedefeld plans to propose midnight closures on Fridays and Saturdays and a 10 p.m. closing time on Sundays “to support long-term maintenance strategy.” Prior to SafeTrack, Metro stayed open until 3 a.m. on weekends; the system currently closes at midnight every night of the week.

“The additional track time increases safety and reliability by giving workers the time and space they need to keep Metro’s infrastructure in a state of good repair,” WMATA said in a release.

Wiedefeld will formally propose the earlier closure times at a Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, according to a release. The moves would require approval from the board after discussing them in public meetings this fall.

The region is about a third of the way through Metro’s massive maintenance plan, which aims to get three years of work done in one by giving crews expanded access to the tracks.