Take a trip down the “Yellow Brick Road” as Metro customers and employees get a sneak peek before the Yellow Line reopens

You said goodbye, we’re saying hello to the Yellow Line with a special preview train ride to celebrate Sunday's reopening. Today, hundreds of customers and Metro employees took a trip along the "Yellow Brick Road," to get a first look at the newly renovated tunnel and bridge.

Metro selected 50 customers and a guest, from more than 480 Yellow Line haikus submitted through social media for a chance to participate in the festive ride, complete with Elton John glasses, Yellow Line M & M's, and other memorabilia. Metro employees, project staff and their guest also came along for a ride on the first Yellow Line train with passengers across the Potomac River since the fall. Each guest also received a commemorative book featuring all 50 selected haikus.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating this occasion with our customers who are the true champions of public transit, and all of our project team and staff who worked so hard to complete this project on time and under budget ," said Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Randy Clarke. "This is an incredible accomplishment, one in which everyone should be proud, and we cannot say enough how much we appreciate the patience of our customers. This is a great day for Metro, our customers, and the region."

Approximately 250-300 people came along for the ride on the "Yellow Brick Road." The interior of each railcar paid tribute to the Yellow Line with special decorations and signs welcoming customers and employees back.

Metro’s project team provided those on board with a play- by-play of the history, development and work that went into rehabilitating the 1970’s era tunnel and bridge.

They also shared interesting facts about the project which required working with more than 40 agencies to obtain more than 75 permits.

Below are a few highlights:

• Removed and replaced more than 17 miles of cables
• Replaced over 1,000 steel plates
• Used more than 2,000 bolts
• Used more than 186,500 square feet of paint
• Applied three coats of paint and primer to the steel plates, some by hand
• Replaced more than 6,200 linear feet of fire standpipe
• On the bridge, we replaced 88 bearings at 11 piers and 23 expansion joints

While this group got a sneak peek, you can take a ride on the Yellow Line and see where it takes you beyond the "Yellow Brick Road" starting Sunday when the system opens at 7 a.m.