Metro Riders on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines had a heck of a morning Monday, with offloading, a fire on the tracks, major delays, single tracking and a whole host of headaches.
Metro GM Wiedefeld issued a statement this afternoon as an explanation and advice on how to manage the ride home this evening. There will still be some issues, he warns, including Silver Line trains that will operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston only. Customers should use Orange Line trains to complete their trip between Virginia and DC, said Wiedenfeld.
Dear Metrorail Customer,
I know that it was a tough commute this morning for our Blue, Orange and Silver line customers. I want to provide you with an update so that you can plan for the commute home.
About 4:30 a.m., the Rail Operations Control Center received a report of a fire in the tunnel outside McPherson Square Station. Buses were called in to substitute for trains through downtown until the fire department cleared in the 6 a.m. hour. Metro restored limited rail service using a single track between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle stations.
I know that many of you experienced delays of 30 to 60 minutes on Blue and Orange line trains this morning. Silver Line trains were turned back at Ballston Station to reduce congestion downtown, and some trains bypassed stations to ease delays for the greatest number of customers.
Hopefully you received timely notification of the disruption through our communication channels: wmata.com, MetroAlerts email and text messages or the news media. (If you are not signed up for MetroAlerts, please take a moment to sign up at wmata.com/metroalerts.)
Unfortunately, the fire damaged several cables that will need to be replaced tonight in order to restore full service for tomorrow. Single tracking will continue throughout the day and will affect the evening commute. If you have the ability to consider alternate travel options today, I encourage you to do so.
I have directed that repairs start at 9 p.m. tonight when ridership is lower. At that time, rail service will be suspended on both tracks between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle.
Rail service plans for the rest of today are as follows:
Blue and Orange line trains will continue to share a single track between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle during the afternoon and evening hours. This will result in delays in both directions. You should consider travel alternates if possible, such as the Yellow Line between DC and Virginia or Metrobus options if available.
Silver Line trains will continue operating between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston only. Customers should use Orange Line trains to complete their trip between Virginia and DC.
During the evening rush hour, Blue and Orange eastbound trains will skip Farragut West and McPherson Square to reduce delays. Listen for station announcements, check platform signs or sign up for MetroAlerts for details.
Starting at 9 p.m., all rail service will be suspended in both directions between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle to allow for repairs. Metro will provide shuttle bus service between the affected stations. Please allow additional travel time.
We are working closely and cooperatively with the NTSB, FTA and DC Fire Department to determine the cause of this incident, and I will remain personally engaged in our response.
I apologize for the delay, inconvenience and crowding you experienced this morning — and that you may experience again later today. Be assured that as we respond to these matters as they arise, we continue to advance plans to improve safety and service reliability to reduce recurrences in the future.
Sincerely,
Paul J. Wiedefeld
General Manager and Chief Executive Officer
Photo: Packed Metro platform March 14 in DC/Credit: Johab Silva via Twitter
How’s your commute going this morning?
Metro is reporting significant delays and issues on the Silver, Blue and Orange lines.
As of 8:30 a.m., Silver Line trains were operating between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston only, Metro reports. Riders are asked to transfer to Orange Line trains at Ballston.
But then there is more trouble. Once on the Blue and Orange lines, Westbound trains will skip McPherson Sq & Farragut West to reduce delays. Meanwhile, trains are trains are single tracking between Foggy Bottom and Smithsonian due to earlier fire department activity at McPherson Square.
Metro officials said earlier that delays of 30 to 60 minutes should be expected.
One rider tweeted it took him three hours to get from Reston to downtown DC this morning.
Doesn’t come as a surprise but @wmata service is particularly deplorable today. Wiehle-Reston to Fed Center SW should never take 3 hrs.
— Derek Doyle (@Derek_Doyle89) March 14, 2016
Follow @metrorailinfo on Twitter for up-to-the minute info. And good luck!
This is the last week the Metro system will accept paper farecards.
Starting Sunday at 7 a.m., Metro will stop accepting the paper cards at turnstiles and will only accept SmarTrip cards.
It’s one of the final steps in Metro’s phasing out of paper farecards, which the agency stopped selling Dec. 31, 2015. The very last step will happen this summer, when Metro stops accepting paper cards as trade-ins.
“If you still have a paper farecard or a Metrochek after June 30, 2016, congratulations, you have a Metro souvenir,” Metro said on its website.
In addition to online reminders, signs have been placed in local Metro stations informing riders of the changes.
Photo courtesy of ARLnow.com
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s plan for the Reston Town Center Metro station.
What to know now: The station, which will be located in the Dulles Toll Road median just west of Reston Parkway and about a half-mile from the current Reston Town Center, will look exactly like other Silver Line stations.
That is disappointing news to the Reston Town Center Association and its Design Review Board, which requested adding some flair in order to give the station area, particularly on the north side closest to town center, a sense of place.
“The station proposal reflects ‘standard’ station design and does not distinguish this stop as a place of special distinction appropriate to Town Center’s status in, and contributions to, the county and the region,” Robert Goudie, RTC Association Exeuctive Director wrote in a letter to Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova. Read More
Crews constructing the Reston Town Center Metro station will begin a pile-driving operation later this week in the median of the Dulles Toll Road just west of Reston Parkway.
Pile driving, which pounds steel piles into the soil to support foundations for the rail station, is slated to begin Friday, Feb. 5.
Pile driving will occur during the day, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays and occasionally on Saturdays, and will continue for approximately six months, says the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
Adjacent businesses and residences surrounding this work area can expect noise. Pile driving usually is done in intervals of about 15 minutes with a similar break in between activities.
In addition, drivers are asked to use caution and pay attention to signage along this section of the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles International Airport Access road.
The Reston Town Center station will be the first stop on Phase 2 of the Silver Line, which will run from Wiehle-Reston East to Dulles International Airport and into Ashburn. It is expected to open in 2020.
Photos courtesy Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
The plans for the future Reston Town Center Metro station will have a public hearing before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
The plans for the station, expected open as part of the Silver Line’s Phase 2 in early 2020, were recommended for approval by the county planning commission earlier this month.
The Reston Town Center stop will be more similar to the urban-style stations at Tysons than it will be to Wiehle-Reston East, the existing stop that is adjacent to a 3,000-space underground parking garage. The Reston Town Center stop, like the stations at Tysons, will have virtually no parking.
And it will still be about a half-mile walk to the Reston Town Center as it stands today. However, development is expected that will bring mixed-use amenities closer to where the station will be built in the middle of the Dulles Toll Road near Reston Parkway and Sunset Hills Road.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) said in the county staff report for the project that there are a number of challenges with the plans — and that some might change moving forward. Read More
Metro officials said they have successfully cleared snow and ice from train rails, which means the Silver Line will be back in service Wednesday morning.
Trains began running at 5 a.m. All other rail lines are open as well.
Metro officials had announced late Tuesday afternoon that they were still unsure about the Silver Line’s status for Wednesday.
Trains will operate every 8 minutes between Wiehle-Reston East and Largo Town Center stations. In the downtown core of the system where stations are served by multiple lines, trains will serve stations about every 4 minutes.
Metro says that the Red, Orange, Blue, Green and Yellow lines will all open for regular service at 5 a.m. Wednesday.
The Silver Line? They still don’t know.
“It is not yet known whether service can be restored on the Silver Line in time for morning rush hour due to ongoing ice and snow clearing efforts,” Metro said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
If the Silver Line is not running, free shuttle buses will be provided starting at 5 a.m. between all Silver Line stations and West Falls Church, where connections can be made to the Orange Line, says Metro.
Metrorail service will operate on a modified weekday service with trains running every 8 minutes on each line. Stations that are served by multiple lines will see more frequent service.
The system has slowly been getting back to regular service since shutting down late Friday night through Saturday and Sunday as the blizzard raged through the area.
Progress has been slow to recover at the above-ground stations, where ice and snow have accumulated on the tracks following the storm that dumped nearly three feet of snow here.
All five of Fairfax County’s Silver Line stations, including Wiehle-Reston East, are above ground.
For complete Metro info, visit Metro’s website.
Metro commuters who planned to hop on nearby Orange Line trains since the Silver Line remains closed Tuesday may need to find an alternate route.
Metro says it will be unable to restore train service at four Orange Line stations that had been expected to reopen this morning: Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church and East Falls Church.
The rail system announced Monday night that the all lines except the Silver Line would run Tuesday. Vienna and East and West Falls Church are Orange Line stations nearest to Reston that commuters used most often prior to the Silver Line’s opening at Wiehle-Reston East in 2014.
Said Metro: “The change in service plan is due to weather-related damage and icing issues with the electrified third rail that were discovered overnight as test trains were run on the line. Specifically, test trains were unable to move through the area reliably and maintain third-rail power to sustain service.”
Orange Line service is running between Ballston and New Carrollton every 12 minutes. Affected Orange Line customers in Virginia should use Ballston Station until further notice.”
Silver Line commuters will have to find an alternate means of transportation if they intend to go to work tomorrow.
The Silver Line will remain closed on Tuesday, says Metro. All other lines will be operating.
The system will reopen at 5 a.m. Tuesday, and fares will be charged, Metro says. Riders rode free on Monday when Metro offered limited below-ground service for most of the day.
Trains are expected to run every 12 minutes Tuesday.
Metro was shut down from 11 p.m. Friday until Monday morning as a blizzard raged through the area. Service was restored to 79 of 91 stations by 4 p.m. Monday.
Metro says it is reopening today, but with very limited service. Service to all above-ground stations is still closed.
That means Wiehle-Reston East and all Silver Line service is not running Monday as the rail system continues to recover from the massive weekend blizzard.
The closest Reston-area commuters can get is the Orange Line at Ballston.
From Metro:
The Metrorail system will be open between 7 a.m. and midnight with limited underground service on the Red, Orange and Green lines as follows —
- Orange Line: Ballston to Eastern Market only
- Red Line: Medical Center to Union Station only
- Green Line: Fort Totten to Anacostia only
- Service on the Silver, Blue and Yellow lines will remain suspended. Stations not listed above will remain closed.
At the start of service, trains will run every 20-25 minutes. Service levels may be upgraded as conditions allow.
One bit of good news: Rides are free. Fares will not be charged on Metrorail on Monday, Metro says.
Graphic courtesy of Metro
Now that Reston is becoming a transit-oriented community, how should the streets surrounding the Metro stations be organized?
That is the subject of a Feb. 1 meeting of the Reston Network Analysis Group.
The meeting is at 7 p.m. at Lake Anne Elementary School, 11510 North Shore Dr.
The Reston Master Plan calls for an urban-style layout of streets near Silver Line stations at Wiehle-Reston East and Reston Town Center (which will open in 2020). County officials have organized the Reston Network Analysis Advisory Group to get feedback from citizens about about the plans for the street grid.
Residents can also comment online on the Reston Network Analysis page.
See more about the committee’s analysis in the presentation below.
4 Comments
The northern portion of the underground walkway from Parking Garage 1 and the Main Terminal at Washington Dulles International Airport will close on Jan. 11 for construction of Metro’s Silver Line station.
Signage within the garage and the terminal will direct passengers to increased shuttle bus service for travelers parking in the garage.
Here is what you need to know:
- Transportation between Garage 1 and the Main Terminal will be provided by shuttle buses approximately every five minutes during peak hours.
- Buses will pick up and drop off passengers at three locations on the south (terminal-facing) side of Garage 1.
- The parking shuttle buses stops at the Main Terminal at two locations along the second arrivals curb, near the exit at Door #2 and exit at Door #6.
- While the walkway to Garage 1 is closed, there will be no pedestrian access between Garage 1 and the Main Terminal.
- Pedestrian access between the Terminal Parking Lot and the Main Terminal via the walkway will be maintained. The walkway from Garage 2 to the Main Terminal will be unaffected and remain open.
“The expansion of the Silver Line Metrorail to Dulles International will play a significant role in the airport’s future,” Jack Potter, president and chief executive officer for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said in a statement. “This temporary tunnel closure ultimately will result in a much more accessible airport and an enhanced experience for passengers.” Read More
More than three months after a fire damaged an electrical substation near Stadium-Armory, Metro’s Silver and Orange line service is back to six-minute rush hour service, says 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,” Wiedenfeld said in a statement.
Orange and Silver line trains began consistently departing endpoint terminals at six-minute intervals on Monday, for the first time since the Sept. 21 substation fire, Wiedenfeld said. The trains had been running every eight minutes since November.
More from Metro:
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Metro was forced to take several steps to protect the remaining power system, including reducing the number of trains on the line by running Orange and Silver line trains every eight minutes during rush hours, limiting acceleration, and restricting how many trains were in the area of Stadium-Armory.
While these actions were necessary to prevent an even more significant disruption in rail service, customers were subjected to more crowded, less frequent trains and frequent “stop-and-go” sluggish rides during rush hours. Metro experienced a significant drop in both on-time performance and rider satisfaction in the wake of the incident.
The restoration of normal rush-hour headways follows weeks of recovery, cleanup, testing and commissioning of new equipment. Working with PEPCO, the Stadium-Armory substation was reconnected to the power grid about a week ago and began feeding electricity to the third rail.
After the fire, Metro used smaller substations to power the Stadium-Armory area. To avoid overloading the system or disrupting service, Metro had to reduce train speeds and limit the number of trains passing through the area.
After the fire, Metro’s initial assessment said it would take at least six months to completely rebuild the substation.
After a more thorough examination, it was determined that engineers would be able to restore two of the three transformers to factory-quality condition and return them to service on a temporary basis. This allowed Metro to restore normal service this week. Eventually, all three transformers will be replaced with new custom built traction power equipment, said Metro.
Get home from your New Year’s Eve events safely: all rides on Washington’s Metro system will be free from midnight to 3 a.m. on Jan. 1.
The free rides are courtesy or Miller Lite’s Free Rides program.
“We’re excited to bring our flagship Miller Lite Free Rides program to Washington, D.C. for the first time on New Year’s Eve,”Diane Wagner, Responsibility Commerce Manager for MillerCoors, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Metro is part of MillerCoors overall commitment to help prevent drunk driving by bringing alcohol responsibility programs to more markets.”
Here is what you need to know:
Free rides will be available on all six Metrorail lines and all Metrobus routes. from midnight until the Metro system closes at 3 a.m.
On the rail system, customers should use their SmarTrip card or a paper fare card to enter and exit the system and will not be charged for the trip.
On Metrobus, riders can simply show their SmarTrip card to board at no charge. For specific route and schedule information, visitwmata.com/bus/timetables.
Photo courtesy MillerCoors
