Service on WMATA’s Orange Line Returns to Normal
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor, Railway Age
Service on Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) Orange Line returned to normal on May 22 following a 10-day construction project during which crews worked around the clock at the Minnesota Ave. and Deanwood stations to make roofing repairs.
As of Monday, Orange Line trains will operate every 12 minutes during morning and evening rush hours, and every 15 minutes all other times.
According to WMATA, the stations remained open during construction, but the work required trains to use a single track from outside Stadium-Armory to Chevelry.
This is the first of four major construction projects scheduled this summer. The work at Deanwood and Minnesota Ave. was completed on schedule and included structural work and waterproofing to the platform canopies. Careful coordination was required with Pepco, due to the proximity of the roofing within 15 feet of overhead power lines. Pepco de-energized the lines to allow the work to be completed, something that WMATA says was not feasible during a prior summer shutdown when electricity demand is high.
WMATA will begin a rail replacement project on the western end of the Orange Line that will be completed in two phases starting June 3, with work continuing on the Green Line later this summer as follows:
- June 3-25: Shutdown Vienna-Ballston-MU rail replacement and fiber-optic cable installation (Phase 1); Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, East Falls Church closed June.
- June 26-July 16: Shutdown Vienna-West Falls Church rail replacement and fiber-optic cable installation (Phase 2); Vienna and Dunn Loring closed.
- July 22-23: Shutdown Greenbelt-Shutdown Georgia Ave.-Petworth fiber-optic cable installation; Fort Totten, West Hyattsville, Hyattsville Crossing, College Park-U of Md and Greenbelt closed.
- July 24-Sept. 4: Shutdown Greenbelt-Fort Totten fiber-optic cable installation; West Hyattsville, Hyattsville Crossing, College Park-U of Md and Greenbelt closed.
Information on WMATA’s 2023 Major Construction this summer can be found here.
