Metro 'SafeTrack' plan released

WASHINGTON - Metro riders can expect a long hectic commute starting June 4.

On Thursday, Metro General Manager, CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld publicly released the final 'SafeTrack' plan. The Metrorail system will close at midnight EVERY night and weekday maintenance work will begin at 8 p.m. The plan was created to compile three years' worth of work into approximately one year.

Included in the 'SafeTrack' plan there are 15 "Safety Surges" which will cause the Orange, Silver, Blue Lines to shutdown for 16 days starting June 4.

For the first Safety Surge, Metrorail customers are advised of the following service information:

-- Orange Line trains will run every 18 minutes at stations between Vienna and Ballston
-- Silver Line trains will run every 18 minutes at all times
-- Additional Orange Line trains will run between Ballston and New Carrollton; however, trains will still be less frequent than normal
-- Expect significant crowding on Orange and Silver line trains
-- Blue, Yellow, Green and Red line service will operate normally during rush hours during Safety Surge 1.

The dates stretch through the summer, the school year and into 2017, though Metro is pausing the massive maintenance work for big events including Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery and for the presidential Inauguration.

BELOW IS A COMPLETE LIST OF 15 SERVICE CHANGES, WHICH METRO CALLS "SAFETY SURGES," INCLUDED IN THE FINAL PLAN:

JUNE 4 - 16 (13 DAYS)
ORANGE & SILVER LINES - REDUCED SERVICE AT BALLSTON & EAST FALLS CHURCH
Continuous single tracking between Ballston and East Falls Church
Orange Line runs every 18 minutes to/from stations Vienna - Ballston
Silver Line trains run every 18 minutes at all times

JUNE 18 - JULY 3 (16 DAYS)
ORANGE, SILVER & BLUE LINES - LINE SEGMENT SHUTDOWN BETWEEN EASTERN MARKET TO MINNESOTA AVE/BENNING ROAD
Orange Line runs every 10 minutes outside shutdown zone
Silver Line runs every 10 minutes outside shutdown zone
Blue Line runs every 12 minutes between Franconia &
Arlington Cemetery only; Yellow Rush+ runs all day, use Yellow Line for service between VA & DC

JULY 5 - JULY 11 STARTS AT 8PM JULY 5 (7 DAYS)
BLUE & YELLOW LINES - LINE SEGMENT SHUTDOWN REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT TO BRADDOCK ROAD
Blue Line trains run every 12 minutes
Yellow Line trains run every 12 minutes

JULY 12 - 18 (7 DAYS)
BLUE & YELLOW LINES - LINE SEGMENT SHUTDOWN REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT TO PENTAGON CITY
Blue Line runs every 12 minutes
Yellow Line runs every 12 minutes

JULY 20 - JULY 31 (12 DAYS)
ORANGE & SILVER LINES - REDUCED SERVICE AT BALLSTON & EAST FALLS CHURCH
Orange Line every 18 minutes at stations from Vienna - Ballston
Additional Orange Line trains run between Ballston - New Carrollton
Silver Line trains run every 18 minutes

AUGUST 1 -AUGUST 7 (7 DAYS)
RED LINE - REDUCED SERVICE AT TAKOMA & SILVER SPRING
Red Line trains between Shady Grove to NoMa every 6 minutes
Red Line trains between Glenmont to Grosvenor every 12 minutes

AUGUST 9 -AUGUST 18 (10 DAYS)
RED LINE - REDUCED SERVICE AT SHADY GROVE & TWINBROOK
Trains serve Shady Grove & Rockville every 18 minutes
(regularly every 6 minutes during rush hour)
All other Red Line stations will have near-normal service

AUGUST 20 - SEPTEMBER 5 (17 DAYS)
BLUE & YELLOW LINES - REDUCED SERVICE AT FRANCONIA-SPRINGFIELD & VAN DORN STREET
Blue Line trains from Franconia every 24 minutes
Blue Line trains from Van Dorn Street every 12 minutes

SEPTEMBER 9 - OCTOBER 20 (42 DAYS)
ORANGE LINE - REDUCED SERVICE AT VIENNA & WEST FALLS CHURCH
At Vienna & Dunn Loring, Orange Line trains every 18 minutes
(regularly every 6 minutes during rush hour)
Normal service levels at other Orange Line stations
Expect trains to/from Vienna to be extremely crowded

OCTOBER 10 - NOVEMBER 1 (23 DAYS)
RED LINE - LINE SEGMENT SHUTDOWN AT FORT TOTTEN & NOMA-GALLAUDET
Red Line trains will run in two segments:
-- Shady Grove - Noma every 5 minutes
-- Glenmont - Fort Totten every 10 minutes
Two stations closed: Brookland-CUA & Rhode Island Ave

NOVEMBER 3 - 11 STARTS AT 10PM NOV. 2 (9 DAYS)
ORANGE & SILVER LINES - REDUCED SERVICE AT EAST FALLS CHURCH & WEST FALLS CHURCH
Orange Line trains run every 16 minutes between
Vienna & New Carrollton
Additional Orange Line trains run East Falls Church - New Carrollton
Silver Line trains run every 16 minutes

NOVEMBER 12 -DECEMBER 6 (25 DAYS)
GREEN AND YELLOW LINES - REDUCED SERVICE AT GREENBELT TO COLLEGE PARK
Green Line trains to/from Greenbelt will run every 12 minutes during rush hours (regularly every 6 minutes)
No Rush+ Yellow Line service to/from Greenbelt

DECEMBER 7 - 24 EXCEPT AM DEC.17 (18 DAYS)
BLUE LINE - LINE SEGMENT SHUTDOWN ROSSLYN & PENTAGON CITY
No Blue Line service running
Yellow Line Rush+ will run all day between Franconia-Springfield & Mt Vernon Square
One station closed: Arlington Cemetery
Free shuttle buses will operate:
-- between Pentagon & Rosslyn
-- between Arlington Cemetery & Pentagon

JANUARY 2- 13 & JANUARY 23 - FEBRUARY 3 STARTS 10PM JAN. 22 (24 DAYS)
BLUE & YELLOW LINES - REDUCED SERVICE AT BRADDOCK ROAD & HUNTINGTON/VAN DORN STREET
Blue Line runs every 18 minutes between Franconia & Largo
Shuttle train runs Huntington - King Street only
Yellow Line every 6 minutes between Reagan National Airport & Mt Vernon Square only

MARCH 6 - 19 (14 DAYS)
ORANGE & SILVER LINES - REDUCED SERVICE AT EAST FALLS CHURCH & WEST FALLS CHURCH
Orange Line trains every 16 minutes Vienna-New Carrollton
Additional Orange Line trains East Falls Church-New Carrollton
Silver Line every 16 minutes
Expect significant crowding on Orange/Silver line trains