Move to shut stations during Metro’s Silver Line extension will eliminate single-tracking

The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission says Washington Metro is putting its workers in danger.

DC Metro

Washington, D.C., Metro announced it would be closing all of the Silver Line stations this summer. The move will help with phase two of Silver Line construction that will extend the route to Dulles Airport and Ashburn.

The decision to close the stations also will help improve safety overall. If the Silver Line had remained open, trains would have been forced to use a single track to get past the East Falls Church station.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thinned the staff at Metro’s operations control center. Metro has broken up the staff into smaller groups to prevent a virus outbreak among staff members. Washington Metrorail Safety Commission CEO David Mayer says by shutting down stations on the Silver Line and eliminating the need to single track the need for complicated and consistent communication required for single-tracking would be eliminated. The risk of a serious safety event also would be reduced.

Construction crews also will have more space to work, improving the safety at the jobsite.

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