DC: Metro Announces Service Information for Last Two SafeTrack Surges

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) has announced service information for the final two SafeTrack surges on the Orange and Red lines. In order to minimize the customer impact elsewhere on the system and to maximize productivity, the surges, which were originally planned as continuous single tracking, will instead be "line segment shutdowns," where buses will replace trains at selected stations.

During Surge #15 buses will replace Orange Line trains between New Carrollton and Stadium-Armory stations from Tuesday, May 16 through Thursday, June 15. In addition, Metro will change the way the Orange and Silver lines operate during the Surge:

• Orange Line trains will operate between Vienna and Largo Town Center every 6-8 minutes during rush hours.
• Silver Line trains will operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Stadium-Armory every 12 minutes (normally 6 minutes) during rush hours.
• New Carrollton, Landover, Cheverly, Deanwood and Minnesota Ave stations will be closed.
• Blue Line trains will operate every 12 minutes, as usual, between Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center.

Limited free shuttle bus service will be provided to/from all closed stations. Customers who normally park at New Carrollton or Landover stations may wish to consider using Greenbelt or Largo Town Center instead. Both alternate stations are conveniently located off of the Capital Beltway. 

Upon completion of Surge #15, Metro will begin its final SafeTrack Surge on the Red Line, where buses will replace trains between Shady Grove and Twinbrook stations. Shady Grove and Rockville stations will be closed. Surge #16 will run through late June, at which point SafeTrack will conclude. The exact dates and service details for the final surge will be announced in the coming weeks.

To date, Metro's SafeTrack program has replaced nearly 35,000 crossties, more than 21,000 fasteners and more than 41,000 linear feet of rail as part of an aggressive one-year track work plan to rehabilitate the Metrorail system and restore infrastructure to a state of good repair. SafeTrack will achieve three years' worth of work in a single year.

At the conclusion of the SafeTrack program, Metro will migrate to a new preventive maintenance program that meets industry standards to ensure long-term safety and reliability. New Metrorail hours to allow for the preventive maintenance program will take effect in late June.