Metrorail service on all six lines and at all 91 stations will resumed Thursday, March 17, at 5 a.m. following emergency inspections of the system's underground third-rail power cables.
As of 10 p.m., March 16, Metro crews had completed inspections of approximately 600 “jumper cables” located in the underground portion of the Metrorail system. Over the past 22 hours, 26 locations were identified where damaged jumper cables and connector boots needed to be repaired or replaced. All but four locations have been remedied as of 9 p.m. Repairs at the four remaining locations are underway.
Metro is advising customers of the following service information:
Trains on the Red, Yellow and Green lines will operate on a regular weekday schedule Thursday following clear inspections on all three lines.
On the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, there is a slight chance of service changes if an ongoing repair effort at Foggy Bottom cannot be completed prior to Metrorail's 5 a.m. opening time. If repairs continue at the current pace, Metro expects to operate Blue, Orange and Silver line service on a regular weekday schedule. However, in the event that repairs are not completed in time, Metro will single track between Clarendon and Foggy Bottom, running Orange Line trains between Vienna and New Carrollton and Silver Line trains between Wiehle-Reston and Largo. The Blue Line would be rerouted over the Yellow Line bridge.
As always, customers are encouraged to sign up for MetroAlerts to receive service information via email or text message.
Investigators are reviewing the history of the damaged boots and cables, and all findings will be shared with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Investigators will then review inspection records, age of materials and maintenance records to identify any procedures that were not followed or standards that were not met.
The unprecedented suspension of Metrorail service on Wednesday followed an early morning electrical fire involving a cable in the tunnel outside McPherson Square Station on Monday, March 14. There were no injuries; however, service was disrupted along the Blue, Orange and Silver lines throughout the day.
News release issued at 10:51 pm, March 16, 2016.
