Metro Announces Travel Alternatives for Orange, Silver, and Green Line 2023 Major Construction Project this Summer

Per WMATA: Metro today announced travel alternatives to help customers prepare for the 2023 Major Construction scheduled for this summer. Starting Friday, May 12, Metro will begin a four-part construction effort focusing on system maintenance and modernization- including rail replacement, fiber optic cable installation, and improved station facilities.

This major construction will result in rolling service impacts on the Orange, Silver, and Green lines over the summer months. Free shuttle bus service will be available for customers during all station closures. Customers are advised to plan extra time for their travel.

“Continued maintenance work is essential to safe and reliable rail service,” said Chief of Infrastructure Andy Off. “We are working strategically to target maintenance locations and minimize the impacts on customers as we conduct this critical work to upgrade systems, improve reliability, and modernize station facilities.”

Customers will continue to have normal or near normal service outside of the work zones, with frequent service on the busiest parts of the system in the downtown core area with stations served by multiple lines. Between Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory and between L’Enfant Plaza and Mt Vernon Sq trains will arrive at stations every 4-6 minutes all day.

Service Impacts and Travel Alternatives 

Cheverly – Minnesota Ave: May 12 – 21

As part of the platform rehabilitation and station improvements last summer, Metro will complete structural work and waterproofing on the canopies at the Minnesota Ave, Deanwood, and Cheverly stations. This work required collaboration with Pepco to complete. The Pepco lines are within 15 feet of the canopy structure; therefore, to safely complete the work, Pepco will need to de-energize critical transmission lines above these stations which could not be done during high demand summer months. To avoid station closures, trains will operate on a single track during the work.

Station Closures: None

Free Shuttle Service: No shuttles provided when all stations remain open for customers

Rail Service:

• Weekday rush hour (6-9 a.m., 3-6 p.m.)
  • Trains will single track between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly.
  • Orange Line trains every 12 minutes between Vienna and Stadium-Armory.
  • Orange Line trains every 24 minutes between Stadium-Armory and New Carrollton.
  • Orange Line+ trains every 24 minutes between Stadium-Armory and Downtown Largo.
• All other times of the day and weekends
  • Orange Line trains every 20 minutes between Vienna and New Carrollton.
• In the downtown core area, customers will continue to find frequent service at stations served by multiple lines.
  • Trains will arrive at stations every 4 minutes between Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory during rush hours (6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.) every 5-6 minutes all other times
  • Trains will arrive every 4 minutes during between L’Enfant Plaza and Mt Vernon Sq trains during rush hours (6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.) and every 5-6 minutes all other times.
• Between Stadium-Armory and Largo, served by the Blue, Silver and Orange+(rush hours only) lines, trains will arrive at stations during rush hours (6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.) every 5-6 minutes, every 7-8 minutes all other times.

Vienna – Ballston-MU: June 3 – 25

Metro will replace the original 40-year-old steel rail between Ballston-MU and Vienna stations . Replacing the track in this section is a top priority to ensure safety and increase reliability. Crews will also install fiber-optic cables during this shutdown.

Station Closures: Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, East Falls Church

Free Shuttle Service:

Free local, express, and limited-stop shuttles will be available.

• Orange Line Shuttle: Local service between Vienna, Dunn Loring, West Falls Church, East Falls Church, and Ballston-MU stations during normal Metrorail operating hours.
  • Every 5 minutes during rush hours. (6-9 a.m., 3-7 p.m.)
  • Every 10 minutes all other times.
• Silver Line Shuttle: Local service between McLean, East Falls Church, and Ballston-MU stations during normal Metrorail operating hours.
  • Every 5 minutes during rush hours. (6- 9 a.m., 3-7 p.m.)
  • Every 10 minutes all other times.

• Orange Line Express: Express service between Vienna and Rosslyn stations.
  • Service every 5 minutes during rush hours. (6-9 a.m., 3-7 p.m.)
  • Service every 10 minutes during non-rush hours. (9 a.m. – 3 p.m., 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.)

• Silver Line Limited: Limited-stop service between Washington Dulles International Airport, McLean, and Rosslyn.
  • Service every 5 minutes during rush hours. (6-9 a.m., 3-7 p.m.)
  • Service every 10 minutes during non-rush hours. (9 a.m. – 3: p.m., 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.)

Rail Service:

• Weekday rush hour (6-9 a.m., 3-7 p.m.)
  • Orange and Silver line trains every 12 minutes each between Ballston-MU and New Carrollton/Downtown Largo.
  • Trains will operate every 6 minutes where the Orange and Silver Lines overlap from Ballston to Stadium-Armory.
  • Silver Line trains every 8 minutes between Ashburn and McLean.
• All other times of the day and weekends
  • Orange Line trains every 15 minutes between Ballston-MU and New Carrollton.
  • Silver Line trains every 15 minutes between Ballston-MU and Downtown Largo.
  • Silver Line trains every 8 minutes between Ashburn and McLean. (Every 10 minutes after 9:30 p.m.)
• In the downtown core area, customers will continue to find frequent service at stations served by multiple lines.
  • Trains will arrive every 4-5 minutes between Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory.
  • Trains will arrive every 4 minutes between L’Enfant Plaza and Mt Vernon Sq.
• Between Ballston and Rosslyn trains will arrive every 6-7.5 minutes.

Vienna – West Falls Church: June 26 – July 16

Crews will continue rail replacement and fiber-optic installation between Vienna and West Falls Church only.

Station Closures: Vienna, Dunn Loring

Free Shuttle Service:

• Orange Line Shuttle: Local service between Vienna, Dunn Loring, and West Falls Church during Metrorail operating hours.
  • Service every 5-10 minutes on weekdays.
  • Service every 10 minutes on weekends.

Rail Service:

• Daytime and weekends: Orange Line trains every 12 minutes between West Falls Church and New Carrollton.
• Late night (after 9:30 p.m.): Orange Line trains every 15 minutes between West Falls Church and New Carrollton.
• In the downtown core area, customers will continue to find frequent service at stations served by multiple lines.
  • Trains will arrive at stations every 4 minutes between Rosslyn and Stadium-Armory.
  • Trains will arrive every 4 minutes between L’Enfant Plaza and Mt Vernon Sq.
• Between East Falls Church and Rosslyn, trains will arrive every 6 minutes.

Greenbelt – Georgia Ave-Petworth: July 22-23

*Extended shutdown area during the first weekend of the Green Line closure

Station Closures: Fort Totten (no Green Line service), West Hyattsville, Hyattsville Crossing, College Park-U of Md, Greenbelt.

Free Shuttle Service:

Free local and limited-stop shuttles available during Metrorail operating hours.

• Green Line Shuttle: Local service every 10 minutes between Greenbelt, College Park, Hyattsville Crossing, West Hyattsville, and Fort Totten.
• Greenbelt-Georgia Ave Limited: Limited-stop service every 8 minutes between Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md, Fort Totten, and Georgia Ave-Petworth.
• Hyattsville Crossing-Georgia Ave Limited: Limited-stop service every 8 minutes between Hyattsville Crossing, West Hyattsville, Fort Totten, and Georgia Ave-Petworth.

Rail Service:

• Red Line service, which connects to the Yellow and Green lines at Gallery Place, will remain open at Fort Totten.

Greenbelt – Fort Totten: July 24 – Sept. 4

This shutdown will focus on installing fiber-optic cables to improve rail network technologies. Once installed, the fiber-optic cables will allow Metro to get more updates done during non-customer hours, which means less downtime in the future.

While Green Line customers in this location experienced a recent summer shutdown for station improvements, the installation of fiberoptics was unable to be addressed at that time due to the use of the tracks to move equipment.

Station Closures: West Hyattsville, Hyattsville Crossing, College Park-U of Md, Greenbelt

Free Shuttle Service:

Free local and limited-stop shuttles available during Metrorail operating hours.

• Green Line Shuttle: Local service every 8-10 minutes between Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md, Hyattsville Crossing, and West Hyattsville.
• Greenbelt-Fort Totten Limited: Limited-stop service every 5-10 minutes between Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md, and Fort Totten.
• Hyattsville Crossing-Fort Totten Limited: Limited-stop service every 5-10 minutes between Hyattsville Crossing, West Hyattsville, and Fort Totten.

Rail Service:

• Daytime and weekends: Green Line trains every 8 minutes between Fort Totten and Branch Ave.
• Late night (after 9:30 p.m.): Green Line trains every 8 minutes between Fort Totten and Branch Ave.