Posts by Stephen Repetski — Editorial Board Alum
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Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center splits the system into three parts. Soon, it will be four.
Like the control tower at the airport, Metro has control centers that tell trains where to go. On Aug. 22, Metro made an addition that will spread out the workload and make the system safer and more reliable. Keep reading…
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Arlington to pedestrians: beg for us
Arlington County is rolling back 78 automatic pedestrian phase activations, also known as “beg buttons,” throughout the county. Keep reading…
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Not quite “back to normal,” but closer: Metrorail projects continue as the agency restores most service
As Labor Day approaches, Metro riders can expect a lot of service changes, updates, and improvements. Here’s what we know so far. Keep reading…
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Metro takes one step back from automation (again)
Metro train operators will now resort back to manually pushing the buttons needed to open doors when trains berth to let riders on and off, as the automated system that opens doors when trains arrive at stations, which Metro rolled out on the Red Line in January, has once again been turned back off. Keep reading…
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From fare changes to boosted bus service, here’s what to expect from Metro this year
The Metro Board approved a a set of changes on Thursday that will move the agency toward more all-day service to riders, rather than focusing on rush hour periods. Keep reading…
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ROCC employees ignore a rule designed to keep workers safe, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission says
Employees in Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) have been purposely disregarding a rule meant to keep track workers safe, according to the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. Rail controllers short-circuited the rule governing how to safely turn track power back on, which the WMSC says could pose a risk to Metro workers and riders. Keep reading…
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New federal funding likely means no huge cuts in next year’s Metro budget
Thirty-minute train headways? Closing twenty-two stations? Bus service offered at 50% of pre-pandemic levels? Severe Metro service cuts which the agency threatened to implement this upcoming January are now very likely off the table thanks to legislation moving ahead in Congress. The DC-area transit agency should receive enough funding to restore most – if not all – service cuts planned for the next fiscal year. Keep reading…
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Your Metrorail trips in 2021 might get quicker – five seconds at a time
A Metro project quietly shelved last year is about to make an attempted comeback in 2021. The agency has a new plan to make its train doors open automatically at stations again, beginning on the Red Line in January, and coming to the rest of the system later in the year. Keep reading…
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Metro proposes a budget that would slash bus and train service, devastating transit in the region
A draft budget unveiled by Metro on Monday would eliminate rail service on weekends, cut trains to run only every half hour, and slash bus service in half from pre-pandemic levels. The agency has a $500 million dollar hole in its budget to fill, and no forthcoming savior in Congress. Keep reading…
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Metro pulls its 6000-series railcars from service after another train comes apart
A Red Line train came apart while leaving the Glenmont station on Tuesday in what Metro called a “train-separation incident,” stranding 12 passengers on board for over an hour and suspending service at the station for over four. The transit agency removed all 184 6000-series railcars from service in response. This is the second separation incident in as many months. Keep reading…