WMATA expands Yellow Line train service

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has expanded train service on the agency’s Yellow Line. Trains serving the Yellow Line now arrive every eight minutes all day, open to close, an improvement on the former late-night and weekend frequency of 12 minutes.

According to the WMATA, ridership has rebounded on the Yellow Line, up 20 percent following an eight-month closure for construction to rehabilitate the Yellow Line tunnel and bridge. Since reopening, customers have taken more than 1 million trips on the Yellow Line, which operates between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Sq. stations, and 600,000 trips have been taken over the Yellow Line bridge. The agency says ridership is increasing every week, and ridership at the newly opened Potomac Yard station has been strong, with more than 25,000 trips taken to or from the station since it opened May 19.

WMATA says over 50,000 trips were taken to and from National and Dulles airports over the Memorial Day holiday weekend in the U.S.

The service improvements coupled with ridership gains are driving a major turnaround for WMATA. Starting next week, the agency will have 70 percent more trains in service during peak periods compared to 2022 and a 54 percent increase in train trips. More than 17.5 million trips were taken on Metrorail and Metrobus in May, including a 20 percent increase on bus and 43 percent increase on rail over May 2022.

WMATA is making frequent service improvements as it works to return more 7000-series trains to the tracks and recovers from a pandemic-driven shortage of train operators. The Yellow Line service improvements come one month after WMATA boosted service on the Red Line during peak periods on May 8.

WMATA notes customers will see additional service improvements later this month on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines.