Transit

Photo by PoPville flickr user Beau Finley

“Dear PoPville,

What’s been going on with the red line the last couple weeks? And before the barage of comments about how much the red line sucks, it seems to be REALLY bad right now. I know they were single tracking last week, but I think that stopped, and trains are still sardine-packed at rush hour. Again, I know that it’s always packed, but it has been extra packed lately, with fewer trains. Did they reduce the number of trains or something?”

I wonder if it’s related to the door troubles on the 4000 series cars getting fixed?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Joe Flood

From WMATA:

“This past weekend, Metro’s railcar maintenance and engineering staff completed inspections of door operations and components on all 100 4000-series cars. The inspections revealed no evidence of a systemic or emergent safety hazard. However, some of the door components were found to be at a low level of acceptable tolerance in terms of meeting Metro standards, and mechanics will need to make adjustments to the door equipment to keep all components in good working order. This work will help enhance safety, ensure the reliability of door operations and reduce offloads.

The door maintenance work will require more time with the cars than is available during overnight hours and includes adjusting tension on the doors, switches, and checking all screw mechanisms, as well as a more robust inspection of all components.

Over the next month, Metro will gradually return 4000-series cars to passenger service as the maintenance work is completed. This means that mostly 6-car trains will continue to operate in the coming days but will gradually be expanded as more 4000-series cars return to service.

Metro greatly appreciates our riders’ patience and understanding as this necessary work is undertaken to ensure safe and reliable train operations.”

Thanks to a reader for sending:

“Metro Center now has a touch screen information display, pretty cool. 13 & G exit”

Yesterday Metro issued a press release about them:

“Today, Metro along with OUTFRONT Media launched a digital advertising pilot program with the debut of large, interactive touchscreens at 8 Metrorail stations.

A first for Metro, the 72” digital flat-panel screens will be wall mounted and feature an interactive HD display. The divided screen will show eight-second advertisements and provide real-time customer information, including train arrival/departure times, station maps and area maps with dynamic navigational guides.

“We are thrilled to be working with WMATA to install these displays,” said Jeremy Male, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OUTFRONT Media. “Digital displays enhance the customers’ journey through way-finding and real-time information, and provide enhanced revenue opportunity for WMATA. Relevant and changeable ad messaging based on criteria such as time of day, weather, and other sales triggers is extremely appealing to advertisers.”

Digital advertising displays are being piloted at the following locations: (more…)

Photo by PoPville flickr user Beau Finley

From WMATA:

“Reconstruction of the Metrorail system will continue over the weekend of June 12-14 with service adjustments on the Orange and Green lines beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday. On the Red Line during daytime hours, five stations from Shady Grove to Grosvenor have service every 12 minutes, rather than every 6 minutes.

Silver, Blue and Yellow line trains will operate on their regular weekend schedules.

Due to scheduled rebuilding, Orange line trains will operate every 18 minutes, rather than every 12-15 minutes. Green Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between College Park and Branch Avenue stations; buses will replace trains at Greenbelt Station.”

A reader writes in:

“Rode my first 7000 series car today on the red line to shady grove. Amazing to be able to hear the announcements although in an electronic voice reminiscent of airport trams. Smoother ride too. Didn’t mean that we didn’t stop randomly in tunnels, as always…”

For others who’ve ridden – have you noticed a smoother ride too?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric P.

From WMATA:

“Reconstruction of the Metrorail system will continue over the weekend of June 5-7 with service adjustments on the Orange and Green lines beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and continuing through system closing on Sunday. On the Red Line during daytime hours, five stations from Shady Grove to Grosvenor have service every 12 minutes, rather than every 6 minutes.

Silver, Blue and Yellow line trains will operate on their regular weekend schedules with Yellow Line trains running between Huntington & Mt. Vernon Square only.

Due to scheduled rebuilding, Orange Line trains will operate every 16 minutes, rather than every 12-15 minutes. Green Line trains will operate every 20 minutes.”

Also of note from WTOP:

“Members of Congress from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia say they’ll try to restore $50 million in funding for safety improvements to the Metro subway system that was cut by the House.”