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Photo by PoPville flickr user Josh Bassett

From WMATA:

“Tonight, Metro and its escalator contractor KONE will begin a project to install the system’s 50th new escalator since 2011, Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld announced today. Over a two-year period, the project will replace the three entrance escalators at Waterfront Station in Southwest, DC.

In the past five years, Metro has installed 37 new escalators at the following stations: Bethesda, Branch Avenue, Brookland, Columbia Heights, Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, Friendship Heights, Georgia Ave-Petworth, Glenmont, Metro Center, Mt. Vernon Square, Pentagon, Van Ness and Woodley Park.

In addition, projects are currently underway to replace an additional 12 escalators.

Metro owns and maintains 618 escalators in its stations and parking garages, including the longest escalators in the Western Hemisphere at Wheaton Station.

The investments in replacing or rebuilding Metro’s escalators has yielded positive results for customers. In 2015, Metro’s escalator availability rate reached 93.3 percent, the best annual performance in five years.

The work at Waterfront Station will begin Monday night after the station closes. Each escalator is expected to take 35 weeks to replace, including site preparation, demolition, construction, installation and testing. For safety reasons, most of the work will be done during overnight hours.

Waterfront Station’s entrance will remain open to customers during the project with one escalator running up and one running down.”


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Thanks to Kat for sending this metro mess around 8:50am.

WMATA reported:

“Red Line: Expect residual delays to Shady Grove due to an earlier train malfunction at NoMa-Gallaudet.”

and

“Shady Grove-bound Red Line passengers expect delays – earlier medical emergency at Farragut North. Trains moving. 8:54a #wmata”

And there was also trouble on the Orange and Silver lines:

“Orange/Silver (7:47a): Crews now responding to a 2nd cracked rail (1st one repaired), this time on inbound track at E Falls Church. #wmata”

and

“Orange & Silver line trains have resumed 2-track service through East Falls Church. 8:45a #wmata”


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Photo by PoPville flickr user Rob Cannon

From WMATA:

“Reconstruction of the Metrorail system will continue over the weekend of January 15-18 with service adjustments on four of six lines. Trains will operate as follows:

Green Line trains will operate regular weekend intervals.
Yellow Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between Huntington and Fort Totten.
Silver Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston.
Free shuttle buses will replace Orange and Blue line trains between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly & Benning Road.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday through closing Sunday, buses will replace Orange Line trains between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly. During this time, Minnesota Ave and Deanwood stations will be closed.

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday through closing Sunday, buses will replace Blue Line trains between Stadium-Armory and Benning Road. Free shuttle buses will operate between Stadium-Armory and Benning Road. Please allow 10-12 minutes of travel time for each station stop.

Red Line trains will operate every 9-18 minutes.

There is no scheduled track work on Monday, January 18.”


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Photo by PoPville flickr user Julian Ortiz

From WMATA:

“Due to Sunday’s Wild Card playoff game at FedEx field, rebuilding on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines will end at 12:00PM (noon) on Sunday, 1/10/2016. Orange, Blue and Silver line trains will resume normal weekend service, every 15 minutes during daytime hours and Silver Line trains will operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Largo Town Center.

Reconstruction of the Metrorail system will continue over the weekend of January 8-10 with service adjustments on all six lines. Trains will operate as follows:

Green Line trains will operate regular weekend intervals between Branch Ave and College Park stations. Free shuttle buses will replace train service at Greenbelt Station only.
Silver Line trains will operate between Wiehle Reston-East and East Falls Church stations only. Orange and/or Blue line trains provide service at all other stations.
Orange and Blue Line trains will operate every 20 minutes.
Red Line trains will operate every 10-18 minutes.”


metro
Photo by PoPville flickr user Julian Ortiz

From WMATA:

“Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld today announced the resumption of six-minute rush hour service on the Orange and Silver lines, 13 weeks after a catastrophic fire knocked offline an electrical substation outside Stadium-Armory Station.

“I am pleased to be able to announce the restoration of six-minute service on the Orange and Silver lines this week,” said Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld. “I want to thank the Metro customers who stayed with us despite less frequent service and crowding, and we know there is more work ahead to rebuild rider confidence and make service reliable.”

Orange and Silver line trains began consistently departing endpoint terminals at six-minute headways on Monday, December 28, for the first time since the September 21 substation fire. (more…)


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Photo by PoPville flickr user Beau Finley

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Regular weekday service. No track work.
Metrorail system open 5 a.m. until midnight. Regular fares and parking rates in effect.
MetroAccess subscription trips cancelled

Friday, December 25 (Christmas Day)

Metrorail & Metrobus operate on Sunday schedules. No track work.
Metrorail system open 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. Off-peak fares in effect all day. Parking free.
MetroAccess subscription trips cancelled.
Customer service will be closed.

From WMATA:

“Riders who use Waterfront will be the next to benefit from the installation of new, more reliable escalators, Metro announced today. Metro will begin a major capital project to install three new entrance escalators at Waterfront Station on Monday, January 18. (more…)


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Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

From Metro Alerts:

“Metrorail fare vendors are currently unable to process Credit/Debit card transactions. Customers are advised to use cash.”

Updated 4:00 p.m.

“Metro’s fare vendors in stations and online ordering have resumed processing credit and debit cards to add fare value to SmarTrip® cards.

Due to an equipment malfunction earlier today, most vending machines were unable to accept credit or debit cards. The outage also affected online fare purchases.

We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience while resolving this issue.”


metro props
Photo by PoPville flickr user Julian Ortiz

A reader writes “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.”:

“Thank you for contacting the Office of Customer Relations. We apologize
for the inconvenience that you experienced. A refund will be provided to you in the form of a complimentary free ride ticket.
Please respond to this email with your mailing address and I will send the ticket immediately. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, and thank you for using Metro.”

For those curious about the inconvenience experienced: (more…)


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