Metro advises customers of weekend track work on five of six lines
Supplemental Blue Line and Metrobus service added; allow extra travel time
This weekend, Nov. 18 -19, Metro crews will perform critical track work and make rail adjustments on a section of track between Foggy Bottom and Clarendon/Arlington Cemetery. Due to single tracking Metro will operate significantly reduced frequencies – every 26 minutes - on the Blue and Orange lines, with Silver Line service operating between Ashburn and Ballston only.
Additional Blue Line service will operate between Downtown Largo and Smithsonian stations on Saturday from 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. every 13 minutes. Customers transferring from other lines in the direction of Downtown Largo, including the Washington Commanders game against the New York Giants on Sunday, should transfer at L’Enfant Plaza to take advantage of the supplemental Blue Line service.
Metro will also operate additional Metrobus service on the 38B for impacted customers on the Orange and Silver lines. The 38B route, which runs between Ballston and Farragut Square with stops at or near Virginia Square-GMU, Clarendon, Court House, and Rosslyn stations, will operate every 10 minutes on Saturday and every 15 minutes on Sunday.
Additional track work is also scheduled with single tracking between Van Ness and Friendship Heights on the Red Line for leak mitigation; and between L’Enfant Plaza and Navy Yard on the Green Line to repair concrete grout pads, drain maintenance, and fiber-optic cable installation.
The work on the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines was recently added after inspections identified the need for rail replacement and adjustments in a curved section of track. This time-consuming process requires measuring the width of the rail to gauge and realigning the rail on a curve where it is subject to increased tension. Additional work is also needed to demolish and pour new concrete grout pads and replace stud bolts, fasteners, and insulators. Over the weekend crews will complete:
• Adjustments to 2100 linear feet of rail, the length of seven football fields
• Replace 400 feet of grout pads
• Install approximately 60 insulators, 115 stud bolts and 300 fasteners
• Inspect and tighten 3600 linear feet of stud bolts and fasteners, the length of 22 Olympic-size pools
Service Information:
Trains operate every 26 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Downtown Largo*; with trains every 13 minutes between Downtown Largo and Smithsonian on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday. Customers are advised the additional Blue Line service on Saturday, will not be reflected in Metro's trip planner.
Trains operate every 26 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton. *
Trains operate every 13 minutes between Ashburn and Ballston only; transfer to/from the Orange Line to continue trip.
Trains operate every 18 minutes between Shady Grove and Farragut North; and every 9 minutes on average between Farragut North and Glenmont.
Trains operate every 14 minutes.
Normal service.
*Please note, Orange and Blue line trains will not be evenly spaced apart as trains will travel through the work zone back-to-back every 26 minutes. Customers should plan additional travel time.
Customers traveling on Metrorail this weekend, are encouraged to factor in additional travel time due to track work. Service information is available via X @wmata, @metrorailinfo, @metrobusinfo or MetroAlerts text and email messages. You can also check wmata.com/MetroPulse for real-time service information to see train frequencies and when the next train will arrive.
Metro’s customer service team is also available to assist customers on the weekend from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. via chat, email and social media or customers may call 202-637-7000 (automated information available 24/7).