According to the Metro Transit Police Department, on Tuesday, June 20th, a passenger boarded the train at the Silver Spring Metro Station and at some point in time, managed to get on top of the train to ride it. The passenger was

Per a FOX 5 report, “Around 4:37 p.m., rail operators advised that a person was possibly on the tracks. The train was stopped at Rhode Island Ave. and the operator got out of the train to look. It was confirmed then that a victim was underneath the train.” The victim showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:23 p.m.


Per WMATA: Metro detailed its future financial planning to address structural funding issues that will leave a projected $750 million shortfall in the fiscal year 2025 budget when federal covid relief funding runs out. Without an increase in funding, Metro would be forced to make drastic cuts to rail, bus, and paratransit services across the region.

The long-term financial issues facing Metro, come amid improving service, investments in modernization, and growing ridership. As of May, weekday ridership on Metrorail and Metrobus is at 50 percent and 88 percent of pre-pandemic levels, respectively, with ridership as high as 800,000 trips or more combined on bus and rail.


Per WMATA: Metro crews are nearing the finish line to reopen two stations and restore normal Silver Line service following construction to lay down miles of new rail and fiber-optic cables. Beginning Monday, June 26, trains will resume service to the East Falls Church and West Falls Church stations.

This is the first of a two-phase rail replacement project on the Orange and Silver lines. The second phase continues on the Orange Line only through July 16, with the Vienna and Dunn Loring stations remaining closed.


Per WMATA: Metro is making it more affordable for tens of thousands of Metro customers across the region. Today, customers can begin enrollment in Metro Lift, an income-qualified reduced fare program approved by Metro’s Board of Directors in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

The program’s launch, announced earlier this month, will provide a 50 percent discount on Metrorail and Metrobus fares for customers who qualify. The discount will reduce the cost of a bus trip to just $1 and rail fare to as little as $1 and no more than $3 depending on how far you travel.


Per WMATA: In observance of the Juneteenth federal holiday, Metrorail trains will run on a Saturday schedule from 5 a.m. – midnight and Metrobus will operate on a Saturday supplemental schedule. All routes that normally operate on Saturday will operate in addition to supplemental service on selected routes. MetroAccess customers may make a separate reservation to travel on the holiday; however, all pre-scheduled subscription trips will be canceled.

Customers traveling over the Juneteenth holiday can connect via Metro to Amtrak, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport. This is expected to be one of the busiest travel weekends since the pandemic, so give yourself extra time to catch your train or flight.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) and the Metro Transit Police Department responded to a call for a person on the tracks at the Rockville Metro Station at 250 Rockville Pike around 6:25pm on Saturday evening.

According to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer, rail traffic was shut down in both directions between the Rockville and Twinbrook stations. The person was in custody by 6:50pm and there were no apparent injuries sustained. Things should be “picking up” again shortly. Featured photo courtesy of @a__littlewoman on Instagram.


Red Line customers will enjoy more frequent weekday service beginning Monday, June 12, and that’s just the start of improvements rolling out for rail and bus customers throughout the month of June.  Beginning Monday, Red Line trains will operate every 6 minutes until 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, an improvement from every 8 minutes during off-peak daytime hours. On weekends, Red Line trains will continue operating every 8 minutes all day, and every 10 minutes after 9:30 p.m. seven days a week.

“Ridership is bouncing back, and Your Metro continues to deliver service improvements to meet the travel demands of the region,” said Metro General Manger and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke. “Ridership continues to set records on rail and bus, and we’re excited to deliver service improvements that will save our customers time and money at all times, every day of the week.”


 

For the first time, Metro will begin offering reduced fares to assist low-income customers. The new income-qualified reduced fare program, ‘Metro Lift’ launches Tuesday, June 20. Customers in DC, Maryland and Virginia who qualify for the US Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) are eligible to enroll.


Metro is making improvements at the Arlington Cemetery Station and will begin installing canopies over the station entrances to protect customers, the station, and escalators from the elements. Work will begin on Monday, June 5, closing the station’s north entrance on the north side of Memorial Drive for approximately three months. Rail service will not be impacted.

During construction crews will demolish and rebuild the parapet walls around the escalators to prepare the area for installation of the new canopy. Completing this work safely and efficiently requires closing the entrance. While the north entrance is closed, the south entrance will remain open and accessible using the crosswalk on Memorial Drive, directly across from the north entrance. Throughout construction, the two elevators on the north side of Memorial Drive that service both sides of the Metro platform will also remain open.


Per WMATA: Beginning Saturday, June 3, Metro will begin rail replacement work on the Orange Line in Virginia. During construction, which will be done in two phases to minimize station closures, 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 to modernize communications and allow for more efficient maintenance in the future.

Free shuttle bus service will be available for customers during all station closures. Customers are advised to plan extra time for their travel. Metro is boosting outreach to customers at the affected stations and will have prominent signage, announcements in stations and on trains, and teams of outreach personnel to assist customers with the temporary travel patterns during the construction. “Replacing some of the oldest tracks in our system is critical to safety and reliability, and crews will work 24/7 to complete this project as quickly as possible so we can get back to normal service,” said Metro Chief of Infrastructure Andy Off. “We make every effort to minimize impacts to our customers, and we thank them for their patience while we continue to build a safe and modern Metro to serve the entire region.”


Per WMATA: On Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, Metrorail will open at 7 a.m. and close at midnight, providing normal Sunday service on all lines. Metrobus will operate on a Sunday schedule. MetroAccess customers may make a reservation to travel on the holiday; however, subscription trips will be canceled. 

Whether heading to a parade, barbeque, or the one of many local events honoring our servicemembers, Metro is your convenient and affordable way to get around the region this holiday weekend. If you’re heading out of town, avoid the traffic by taking Metro to Washington Dulles International or Reagan National airports.  Service information:


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