‘Extremely Complex’ Work to Take Place on Metro Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines

WASHINGTON, D.C – WMATA announced that on Saturday, October 7th, crews will repair a section of track on its Blue, Orange, and Silver lines.

WMATA announced that on Saturday, October 7^th, crews will repair a section of track on its Blue, Orange, and Silver lines. To allow this track maintenance to take place, trains will “single track between McPherson Square and Smithsonian Station with Silver Line trains operating between Ashburn and Ballston only.”

Between McPherson Square and Metro Center, inspectors identified defective track materials, and a speed restriction of 15mph was put into place to allow trains to continue to operate safely. According to the release, the section where inspectors found defective track materials needs more permanent repairs in the future before it becomes a safety issue and “causes further degradation of the tracks.”

Metro COO Brian Dwyer said: “This work is extremely complex due to the location of the tightest curves in the rail system. . . We apologize to customers for the disruption and delays caused by the repairs so that we can continue to provide safe, reliable train service.”

The work is said to involve a “complicated process” as it requires the removal of two 40-foot sections of restraining rail, “a type of guardrail used by transit systems to assist with navigating on curved sections of track and reduced wheel and rail wear.” According to the release, these sections each take more than two hours to remove.

Once that happens, crews will replace 35 stud bolts attached to rail fasteners to support the track. To install new stud bolts, the work involves core drilling to bore through concrete and remove old stud bolts first. This is expected to take most of the day before the track and restraining rail can be reinstalled. 

Normal service should resume on Sunday, October 8^th. Service changes are detailed in the release and can be found here.