metro

Past Red Line Blues

Yesterday it was the Orange and Blue and Today’s Rush Hour mess features the Red Line – from WMATA:

“Metro is advising Red Line customers to expect delays during today’s afternoon rush hour and into the evening due to two unrelated service issues where trains are single tracking:

Due to defective rail fasteners in the area of Dupont Circle, all Red Line trains are sharing a single track between Farragut North and Dupont Circle stations. The issue was detected during a routine track inspection. Repairs are expected to take several hours.

Due to a cracked rail in the area of Grosvenor, all Red Line trains are sharing a single track between Medical Center and Grosvenor stations. Metro crews are currently bringing a crane to the site to replace a 39-foot section of rail. (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Barbara Krawcowicz

From WMATA:

“Metro is advising customers on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines of a service disruption that will impact travel during the afternoon/evening commute.

Due to defective rail fasteners in the area of Smithsonian Station, all Orange and Blue line trains will share a single track between Federal Center SW and Smithsonian stations. The issue was identified by Metro inspectors during a routine track walk.

Orange and Blue line trains will be subject to delays of 20-40 minutes during this evening’s rush hour as rail traffic alternates through the affected area. Customers on these lines may experience significantly longer waits and crowding on platforms and trains. Riders traveling between DC and Orange Line stations in Arlington may consider Metrobus 38B service as an alternate.

All Silver Line trains will operate between Ballston and Wiehle-Reston East only to reduce congestion. Riders traveling to Silver Line stations in Virginia should use the Orange Line to travel between DC and Ballston.

Customers traveling to/from Virginia stations south of Pentagon should consider the Yellow Line as an alternate to the Blue Line.

After rush hour, the single track area will be extended between Federal Center SW and McPherson Square to allow for repairs.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Beau Finley

From WMATA:

“Metro is working to improve safety, reliability, and to get its financial house in order. The SafeTrack program underway now is designed to restore the Metrorail system to a state of good repair, but maintaining the system will require more track access moving forward. For riders, this means the number of hours that Metrorail is open would be reduced so that more preventive maintenance work, quality control, and inspections can be conducted when trains aren’t running.

Before SafeTrack started in June 2016, Metro was closed for just 33 hours each week, providing little time for maintenance and inspections. Compared to 1998 when the Metrorail system had 12 fewer stations and trains operated with just two to four rail cars, there were 44 hours per week for maintenance. That’s 25% less track time for a system that’s considerably larger today.

We know that adjusting the hours of operation will impact many riders, and we want to hear from you. Four proposals have been developed for your review. Each proposal provides Metro with an additional eight hours of track access each week, with the proposals designed to impact the fewest customers possible.
What’s being worked on when Metrorail is closed?

Metro uses time when the tracks are out of service to conduct maintenance, inspection and quality control work, as well as capital improvement efforts to replace or rehabilitate parts of the system. Prior to SafeTrack, all of these efforts were conducted in the overnight hours and during weekend single tracking and shutdowns, but the limited time available led to a backlog of both routine maintenance efforts and safety critical improvements.

Metro is now developing improved maintenance and inspection programs that will be put in place when SafeTrack ends next year. Increasing track access by 20 percent will be critical to this new effort. The new programs will strengthen preventive maintenance for tracks, switches, interlockings and traction power cables. The new preventive maintenance programs will be carried out across the system during overnight hours when trains are not operating, so that capital programs can be conducted during weekend shutdowns and single tracking events that are scheduled on a weekly basis in specific locations.

(more…)

Chad emails us at 7:30am: “Going to be a long commute”

From WMATA:

“Red Line: Single tracking btwn Medical Center & Van Ness due to a track problem outside Friendship Heights. Delays in both directions.

Red Line: Outbound trains are bypassing Tenleytown, Bethesda & Friendship Heights to reduce single tracking delays. Use inbound trains.

Red Line: Single tracking btwn Friendship Heights & Van Ness due to a track problem outside Friendship Heights. Delays in both directions.

Personnel on scene to repair cracked rail outside Friendship Heights. Red Line trains continue single tracking. 8:17a #wmata”

Red Line trains continue single tracking between Van Ness and Friendship Heights. Outbound trains are bypassing Tenleytown. 8:30a #wmata”

Ally writes around 8am:

“Getting to platform at F. North is nearly impossible, everyone using escalators to go up”

Should they just officially make the station, or part of the station, exit only during the morning rush hour?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Erinn Shirley

From WMATA:

“Metro today announced revised dates for the remaining SafeTrack surges of this calendar year. The new dates follow changes to the SafeTrack schedule announced in mid-August to address new safety recommendations, incorporate interlockings, and account for the impact of record heat and humidity during the summer months.

As previously announced, Surge #9 will begin Sept. 15 [today] and run for 42 days through October 26. On weekdays, Orange Line will single track at all times between Vienna and West Falls Church. Trains will service Vienna and Dunn Loring stations every 24 minutes. Service from West Falls Church to New Carrollton will be unaffected. On weekends, rail service will be suspended.

On the weekends of September 24-25 and October 1-2:

Free shuttle buses replace trains between Vienna and East Falls Church stations 7AM Saturday through closing Sunday.
Stations Closed: Vienna, Dunn Loring and West Falls Church.

On the weekends of October 8-9 and October 15-16:

Free shuttle buses replace trains between Vienna and West Falls Church stations 7AM Saturday through closing Sunday.
Stations Closed: Vienna and Dunn Loring.

The following SafeTrack surge dates were announced:

Surge #10: NoMa-Gallaudet-Fort Totten | October 29 – November 22

Date change: This surge will now begin on Saturday, October 29, and continue through Tuesday, November 22.

Service info: Red Line rail service will not operate between Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet stations during this surge. As a result, two stations–Brookland and Rhode Island Avenue–will be closed. Buses will operate between Fort Totten, Brookland, Rhode Island Ave and NoMa. However, customers are encouraged to use the Green Line as an alternate route between Fort Totten and Downtown DC (Gallery Place). Red Line trains will operate less frequently than normal at all stations, and riders are encouraged to use alternate routes or travel outside of rush-hour periods if possible. (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Elvert Barnes

In part the report says:

“The scenarios were developed to provide an additional 8 hours of track access each week to conduct safety-critical work, while also looking to minimize the number of riders impacted and the overall reduction in annual ridership. The attached presentation includes a chart showing ridership impact for each scenario.”

“The span of service proposal is the result of recommendations from third party experts, peer review, and consultants brought in to review the current maintenance plan. These reviews found: (more…)