WMATA

Per MCDOT: Red Line Trains will be single tracking between the Silver Spring and Forest Glen stations due to leak mitigation work. The work will take place between Saturday, December 31 through Monday, January 2.

Per Metro: Metro has transitioned to a new program of preventive maintenance and planned capital work. Overnight and weekend hours will be used for enhanced preventive maintenance including cable testing to prevent smoke and fire incidents, stray current testing, trackbed cleaning, switch maintenance, torqueing (tightening fasteners, joint nuts and bolts) to eliminate excessive strain on infrastructure, and track geometry work to ensure the correct rail alignment.

Per WMATA: Nobody likes to be ghosted, especially by a bus. So, it’s good news for Metrobus customers that “ghost buses” have been banished by recent technology upgrades at Metro. Today, Metrobus customers have more certainty that the location of a bus displayed on busETA is accurate. Previously, all scheduled buses were displayed on busETA regardless of whether a bus was in service or not, meaning that a bus taken out of service for a mechanical issue, operator availability, or other issue would be displayed on busETA but would not show up for an expecting customer.

“These upgrades to busETA are part of our commitment to listen to customer concerns and work as hard as possible to improve their experience using Metro,” said Metro Senior Vice President of Bus Services Leroy Jones. “Ghost buses are one of the biggest frustrations we hear about the Metrobus experience, and this change will help take the guesswork out of planning your trip.” Customers using busETA whether on their desktop computer or mobile web application will already notice the improvements. Customers that rely on displays at bus stops will see similar improvements in the coming weeks.

Per WMATA: As Metro prepares to introduce its Fiscal Year 2024 proposed budget this week, Metro today released an update for customers and stakeholders on the development of a new strategic plan, #YourMetro, The Way Forward. The plan will provide a long-term strategy and direct Metro’s day-to-day decision making over the next five plus years.

Metro has been gathering information and feedback from customers on rail, bus, and paratransit, local elected officials, employees, stakeholders, and Board Members to understand the region’s priorities for the future of Metro.  The update released today outlines draft goals focused on service excellence, regional opportunity and partnership, sustainability, and talented teams.

Per WMATA: Metro’s Red Line customers will see more frequent service beginning Monday, December 5, as the transit agency continues to bring more 7000-series trains into service.

Red Line trains will operate every eight minutes during the peak periods of 6 – 9 a.m. and 3 – 7 p.m. to alleviate crowding during the busiest weekday hours. Red Line trains will operate every 10 minutes at all other times, except during scheduled trackwork.

Metro welcomes customers and visitors to the region to take Metro wherever your travels take you during the Thanksgiving holiday. On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, Metrorail and Metrobus will operate on a Sunday schedule, with trains operating from 7 a.m. until midnight. MetroAccess customers may make a reservation to travel on the holiday; however subscription trips will be canceled.

The day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 25, Metrorail will open at 5 a.m., closing at 1 a.m., and Metrobus and MetroAccess will operate normal weekday service.

Per WMATA: Metro celebrated the opening of the Silver Line Extension on Tuesday, connecting customers to six new stations, adding 11.4 miles of track to the Metrorail system, and beginning operations at a modern rail maintenance facility. The Silver Line Extension gives customers a new connection to Washington Dulles International Airport and new service between Reston, Va., and eastern Loudoun County. Today’s grand opening also marks the completion of the Silver Line project, a generational infrastructure investment in Northern Virginia. 

Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke was joined by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other federal, state, and local officials for the grand opening ceremony at Washington Dulles International Airport Station. The event was followed by an inaugural train ride with nearly 100 customers who shared their happiest Metro memories to receive a “Silver Ticket” for the special preview train ride. 

Per WMATA: In observance of Veterans Day, Friday, November 11, Metro will operate normal weekday service with scheduled track work and maintenance on the Red and Green lines. Metrobus will operate on a Saturday Supplemental schedule and MetroAccess customers may make a reservation to travel on the holiday; however, subscription trips will be canceled.

Metrorail

Metrorail customers will be back on track south of Reagan National Airport with full service resuming to six closed stations on Sunday, Nov. 6. Blue Line trains will serve all six stations – Braddock Rd, King St-Old Town, Eisenhower Ave, Huntington, Van Dorn St, and Franconia-Springfield – while long-term work continues to rehabilitate the Yellow Line Tunnel and Bridge.

Per WMATA: Metro is also making progress on the Yellow Line Tunnel and Bridge Rehabilitation Project which began during the closure. The Yellow Line will remain suspended through May 2023, while these critical tunnel and bridge repairs continue. Instead, the reopened stations will be served by additional Blue Line service. Trains will run every 15 minutes between Franconia-Springfield and Largo on the Blue Line, with Blue Plus service operating every 15 minutes between Huntington and New Carrollton.