Image by Jim Shank licensed under Creative Commons.

Last week, Metro released an updated schedule of SafeTrack closures for 2017. Here's a summary of the changes Blue and Yellow Line riders can expect in the coming months, along with some additional details from Metro.

SafeTrack is Metro's plan to rehabilitate large sections of the Metrorail system by expediting completion of critical repairs. Metro is doing this work in periods called “surges” which involve either continuous single tracking or complete segment closures. Surges 12 and 13 will take place from February to April and will result in severe temporary service cuts on the Blue and Yellow Lines.

Here's what you need to know if you take the Blue Line

Beginning February 11 and lasting through the end of the month, Surge 12 will shut down the Blue Line between Rosslyn and Pentagon stations. Blue Line trains will only run between National Airport and Franconia. Riders who normally use the Blue Line to travel into DC or Maryland will need to use a Yellow Line train.

Image by Peter Dovak used with permission.

Blue Line work then moves south for Surge 13. This is a particularly complex surge and it might be best to think of it as 3 separate ones. From March 4-26, continuous single tracking will take place from Braddock Road to Van Dorn Street and Huntington. Blue Line trains will operate every 24 minutes, and Yellow Line service will be severely impacted (more on this later).

Image by Peter Dovak used with permission.

The longer headways continue from March 26 - April 2, as work is concentrated between King Street and Van Dorn Street. Blue Line trains will only run every 24 minutes.

Image by Peter Dovak used with permission.

Given the amount of work and disruption this schedule will cause, I wondered if doing all the Blue Line work in a single surge would have been possible. WMATA spokeswoman Sherri Ly told me two surges will both make life easiest on customers and be the best use of Metro's resources.

“As the two work zones are not contiguous, combining the surges would require eliminating all Blue Line service and have far greater impact on customers,” she said. “In addition the length of the work zone would stretch resources, decrease efficiency and as a result increase the total length of time required to complete the work.”

Here's what you need to know if you take the Yellow Line

For Yellow Line riders, Surge 13 will be the main cause of disruption. From March 4-26, single tracking will split the line into two sections, with no Yellow Line trains servicing Braddock Road. There will also be no Yellow Rush Plus service (in essence, during peak times, Rush Plus takes three Blue Line trains to Franconia per hour and turns them into Yellow Line trains going to Greenbelt).

Image by Peter Dovak used with permission.

From April 3-9, continuous single tracking will limit Yellow Line trains to every 24 minutes. The Blue Line will operate normally, as will Yellow Rush Plus trains.

Image by Peter Dovak used with permission.

Ly confirmed that some Yellow Line riders would need to make two transfers to reach their destinations during Surge 13, and that Blue and Yellow Line customers south of Reagan National Airport are urged to find alternate travel options during this time.

“The location of the work zone and the single track area only allows for one train every 24 minutes into Braddock Road from the south,” she said. “However, we continue to explore additional options to improve the proposed bus and rail service to better serve Blue and Yellow Line customers in the affected area.”

Metro will announce specific dates and details for upcoming surges on the Green, Orange, and Red Lines later in the year, but on the surface, the disruptions on these lines should be comparatively smaller.

Work will be concentrated on the far ends of the system, meaning most trains should be able to “short turn” back toward downtown, avoiding the work area and maintaining more regular service. Plus, in each case only one line is affected, further reducing impacts across the system.

Tagged: transit

Travis Maiers spent most of his life in South Florida before moving to the Washington region in 2009. He has a degree in International Studies from American University and works at a DC non-profit focused on international economic policy. He currently resides in the Forest Hills neighborhood of DC and enjoys learning about all things related to transportation and urban planning.