Metro late

Aug 24, 2023

Track maintenance work will bring a three-week reduction in late-night Metro service starting Feb. 27, Metro announced Friday.

Four lines will see fewer trains for about three hours each night on Mondays through Thursdays. The project stretches three miles from the Foggy Bottom station in the District to the Arlington Cemetery station in Virginia.

Workers will be replacing worn concrete grout pads that support the weight of trains, transit officials said. Trains will start running in both directions on a single track starting between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., which will continue until Metrorail closes at midnight.

Single-tracking in addition to the current temporary closure of the Yellow Line for a bridge and tunnel rehabilitation project will create waits at some stations that could reach about 25 minutes, Metro said.

Spring, summer projects will close several Metro stations for weeks

The service reductions will occur between Franconia-Springfield and Downtown Largo on the Blue Line; Vienna and New Carrollton on the Orange Line; Ashburn and Ballston on the Silver Line; and Huntington and Reagan National Airport on Blue Line Plus. Blue Line Plus is a temporary Blue Line extension in lieu of the Yellow Line, which is scheduled to reopen in May.

Grout pads are concrete slabs that anchor the track. Replacing them requires workers to remove bolts, fasteners, insulators and rail before each worn grout pad is demolished. New concrete is then poured and cured before the track can be reassembled.

Transit officials said the project is being scheduled during service hours to ensure morning train traffic is not delayed. Late-night passengers account for a small portion of daily riders.

"Ridership after 10 p.m. only accounts for about four percent of total ridership systemwide, minimizing the impact to customers and allowing more work to get done," Metro said in a statement.

Information on the delays and alternatives, including Metrobus routes and schedules, are available on Metro's website.

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