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Major DC Metro Repair Effort Kicks Off With Track Failure

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Steve Birr
June 6, 2016 11:56 AM ET

Track breakdowns marked the first rush-hour commute Monday during D.C. Metro’s 10-month long “SafeTrack” repair plan, hitting commuters with massive delays.

In the early hours of the commute, passengers along the yellow line were met with delays after a “train malfunction” at the Huntington station. Officials fixed the issue, but warned riders of residual delays throughout the morning due to the mechanical problem.

Officials reported a track switch failure outside the East Falls Church station along Metro’s orange and silver lines just after 8 a.m., which is continuing to cause delays heading in both directions, reports The Washington Post.

Metro officials warned last week that despite forewarning from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), riders are largely unprepared for the magnitude of the repair effort, estimated to cost $60 million, and for the scope of the impact it will have on daily workweek commutes.

The SafeTrack maintenance began Saturday, and most seem unprepared to cope with the coming storm of delays, station closures and months of single-tracking. The Metro will close every weekend at midnight, rather than 3 a.m., potentially impacting the profit of local businesses. (RELATED: The 5 Worst DC Metro Closures To Expect This Summer)

Officials began single-tracking trains between the East Falls Church and Ballston Metro stations Saturday in the first maintenance effort of SafeTrack, which will end June 16. Officials will then initiate a 16-day shutdown beginning June 18 of the orange, blue and silver lines between Eastern Market and Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road. Significant delays on these line are expected, as well as overcrowding on platforms and trains.

Track work will continue over the next year on every line of track in the entire D.C. Metro system, except for the newest portions of the silver line. Riders should expect today commute to become the new normal for the D.C. Metro, for at least the next 10-months.

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