Metro clears most weekend track work for Cherry Blossom season

This weekend, riders on the Red, Green, Orange and Silver lines will enjoy regular weekend service with no track work as Metro eases up on most daytime maintenance to accommodate Cherry Blossom visitors. For the next several weekends, the only daytime weekend trackwork will be SafeTrack related, affecting customers on the Blue and Yellow lines primarily south of Reagan National Airport in Virginia. The ongoing SafeTrack surge is a long-term project through April 12 that has Blue and Yellow line trains sharing a single track between Braddock Road and Van Dorn Street/Huntington.

This weekend on the Blue Line, trains will run every 24 minutes, as they do at all times during SafeTrack Surge #13. On the Yellow Line, trains between Huntington and Mt Vernon Square will also run every 24 minutes; however, additional Yellow Line trains will run between Reagan National Airport at Mt Vernon Square, resulting in regular weekend service (every 12 minutes) between these stations.

Trains on the Red, Green, Orange and Silver lines will run every 12 minutes or less. In Downtown DC, where multiple lines overlap, trains will arrive every 4 to 6 minutes. 

“For many visitors and residents, Metro will be the fastest and most convenient way to get to the Tidal Basin without worrying about traffic or parking,” said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. “And for those riders on the Blue and Yellow lines, every station is open, and we will run more of our longest (8-car) trains to provide plenty of space.”

The same weekend schedule will be repeated over the weekends of April 1-2 and April 8-9. For the weekend of April 15-16, regular service is expected on every line except Green, where workers will be preparing for the next SafeTrack surge in the area of Greenbelt.

On weekends, lower off-peak fares are in effect all day and parking is free at all Metro parking facilities.

Travel Tips 

During the busy Cherry Blossom season, riders can enjoy a more pleasant trip by remembering the following travel tips:

• Trains and stations are more crowded during Cherry Blossom season. On weekdays, visitors are encouraged to travel during non-rush hour times, if possible, and try to avoid traveling at the height of the afternoon peak period, from 4 to 6 p.m.
• Smithsonian Station can become extremely busy with visitors at this time of year. Regular riders who commute to or from Smithsonian may wish to consider L’Enfant Plaza, Archives, or Federal Triangle during Cherry Blossom season.
• Avoid potentially long lines at vending machines by loading enough value for your entire roundtrip, in advance, on your SmarTrip card. 
• Visitors can purchase an unlimited One-Day Pass ($14.50) for maximum convenience. The pass can be loaded onto any SmarTrip card, and can be used for unlimited rail travel on the day it is first used.
• For your safety, always stand back from the platform edge.
• When boarding the train, please move as far into the car as possible to allow others to board. Do not hold or block train doors at any time.