Orange and Silver line trains are set to resume normal rush-hour service at the Stadium-Armory Metro station on Monday, according to a statement from metro Interim General Manager Jack Requa.
Trains will no longer bypass the station during rush hour, which they’ve done since a fire damaged a 9-megawatt power substation that helps power trains at the station Sept. 25. The decision to cut Orange and Silver line service to the station on weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m. and 2 to 7:30 p.m. was widely opposed by residents and local ANC commissioners.
Though the service interruptions were expected to last until the end of the year, Requa said in his statement that Metro maintenance workers found a way to end the service interruptions by upgrading the capacity of another power substation near the Potomac Avenue Metro station.
By increasing the power output of the Potomac Avenue substation, Metro is able to generate enough power to resume Orange and Silver line service at Stadium-Armory.
“As an Orange Line rider myself, I know firsthand how much our customers on these three lines have had to endure since the fire,” Requa said in the statement. “I am encouraged by the creative solution that was identified and implemented to allow normal service at Stadium-Armory Station.”
The trains will still run on a slightly limited schedule, with Orange and Silver line trains running every eight minutes during rush hour as opposed to the usual six. Both lines are set to return to six-minute intervals when construction on the Stadium-Armory substation finishes at the end of the year.
Metro riders won’t be able to access two Capitol Hill-area Metro stations this weekend.
The Potomac Avenue and Stadium-Armory Metro stations are set to close to passengers on Saturday and Sunday as part of rebuilding work on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines, Metro announced today.
Free shuttle buses will replace trains between the Eastern Market and Benning Road Metro stations on the Blue and Silver lines. On the Orange Line, the buses will operate between the Eastern Market and New Carrollton Metro stations.
Buses will take about 10 minutes to travel between each of the closed stations, according to Metro.
Normal service on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines is expected to return Monday.
(Updated at 4:55 p.m.) A man was stabbed in the hand on board an Orange Line train after he approached a man he saw steal a phone in the L’Enfant Plaza station.
Police received a report about 3:30 p.m. of a man bleeding aboard a train at the Federal Center SW station, Metro spokeswoman Morgan Dye said. Officers found the stabbing victim and arrested a 19-year-old man.
In an update, Dye said the suspect snatched a cell phone from a commuter at L’Enfant Plaza. The suspect boarded a New Carrollton-bound Orange Line train and was confronted by a passenger who saw what happened. The suspect then stabbed the good Samaritan in the hand. The object he used was not immediately known.
Blue, Orange and Silver line trains were held at the station for about 20 minutes, delaying subsequent trains. Commuters should expect delays of as long as 30 minutes, Dye said.
The victim was conscious and breathing, D.C. police said. He was transported to a hospital, Dye said.
(Updated at 10:40 a.m.) Commuters faced another frustrating morning. Trains on every line but the Blue Line were delayed as of 9:05 a.m.
Yellow, Green and Red line trains were running on schedule as of 10:30 a.m., WMATA said. Orange and Silver line trains were still delayed.
Trains were held up on the Orange and Silver lines because of a broken rail at East Falls Church, and on the Red Line because of “weather-related car equipment problems” and a disabled train near the Grosvenor-Strathmore station. Yellow and Green line trains were delayed because of a cracked rail outside the Prince George’s Plaza station.
Orange and Silver line passengers should expect delays of about 20 minutes, WMATA said.
Orange/Silver Line: Single tracking btwn East Falls Church & Ballston due to a broken rail at East Falls Church. Delays in both directions.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 8, 2015
Orange/ Silver Line: Expect delays up to approximately 20 minutes due to single tracking at East Falls Church.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 8, 2015
Red Line: Expect delays in both directions due to weather-related car equipment problems.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 8, 2015
Red Line: No longer single tracking. Residual delays continue in both directions due to an earlier train malfunction outside Grosvenor.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 8, 2015
Orange/ Silver Line: single tracking at East Falls Church continues, approximately 20 minute delays in both directions. 10:20a #wmata
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 8, 2015
Green/Yellow Line: Repairs completed. No longer single tracking. Trains are on or close to schedule.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 8, 2015
Many riders were especially frustrated after they faced major delays yesterday morning.
Haven't had a decent day on metro all week. These delays are getting old. Every. Damn. Day. #wmata
— Sally Dadjou (@sdadjou) January 8, 2015
Several minute holds at every station on the Orange line within DC. #metrodelays #wmata @unsuckdcmetro @wmata
— Allison Baker (@akbaker17) January 8, 2015
#wmata Thanks for making me use my personal leave due to your ineptness today. Appreciate the stellar commute!
— J9 (@j9sakacs) January 7, 2015
Will I ever get to work on time again? Cracked rail outside of East Falls Church. #unsuckdcmetro #wmata
— Ali Tagg (@AliTagg1) January 8, 2015
OL riders should just consider walking thru the fare gates and not paying this morning. Protest peak fares and poor service. #wmata
— dcmetrosucks (@dcmetrosucks) January 8, 2015
Image via WMATA.com
(Updated at 11:25 a.m.) Commuters faced trouble again this morning.
Trains on the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines were delayed for more than two-and-a-half hours Wednesday after a train broke down about 8:25 a.m. near the Stadium-Armory station. Trains on these lines were forced to use a single track.
WMATA warned riders at 8:38 a.m. that trains could be delayed in both directions by as much as 30 minutes. The disabled train was cleared by 8:53 a.m., WMATA said on Twitter.
A small debris fire on tracks at the L’Enfant Plaza station at about 10:30 a.m. added to the trouble. The blaze on the lower-level tracks was extinguished quickly, a WMATA spokeswoman said.
Normal service has resumed, WMATA said at 11:15 a.m.
Current Blue/Orange/Silver delays up to 30 min. Support personnel on scene at Stadium-Armory working to restore 2-track ops. 8:38a #wmata
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 7, 2015
Blue/Orange/Silver Update: Earlier disabled train is CLEARED. Trains resuming service, both tracks, both directions. 8:53a #wmata
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 7, 2015
Blue/Orange/Silver: No longer single tracking. Expect residual delays in both directions due to earlier disabled train outside Stadium-Armor
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 7, 2015
Blue/Orange/Silver: Normal service has resumed outside Stadium-Armory.
— Metrorail Info (@Metrorailinfo) January 7, 2015
Commuters expressed their frustration online.
According to Google Maps, I could have walked to work in 1 hour 16 minutes – 2 minutes faster than this AM's metro commute. #WMATA.
— Emily Hoefer (@emilyhoefer) January 7, 2015
Oh, L'Enfant Plaza. @unsuckdcmetro pic.twitter.com/ED6qsPJpqu
— Mauricio C. (@TheMauricio) January 7, 2015
After being a saving grace in yesterday's snow, metro is back to its regulary-scheduled suckage. #wmata
— Jackie Barrientes (@JBarrientes_DC) January 7, 2015
(Updated at 8:55 a.m.) An early morning water main break today (Tuesday) forced WMATA to completely suspend Metro service between L’Enfant Plaza and Farragut West. Service “is being restored” on the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines, WMATA said in an update sent at 8:48 a.m. Commuters can expect residual delays in both directions.
WMATA previously advised riders to seek alternate travel between the affected stations.
“Major delays, crowding, bus shuttles due to water main break at 12th & F Metro Ctr.,” the WMATA website said.
Shuttle buses are running between L’Enfant Plaza and Farragut West.
Metro first advised riders of the water main break at 12th and F streets NW at 5:54 a.m.
Water flooded the Metro Center stop and surged “above the height of the rail,” Metro spokesman Dan Stessel told The Washington Post. Pumping stations inside the station were “on full power” to remove the water earlier this morning.
What caused the water main break was not announced.
