WASHINGTON — Most mass transit systems are running business as usual on the first workday of the government shutdown, but that may change later on. MARC will be adding some room on midday trains and Loudoun County commuter buses will provide midday service for federal employees who just have to check in at work.
For MARC commuters who ride the Penn Line, extra railcars will be added to midday and early afternoon trains in anticipation of employees leaving work early. Crowding is likely despite the extra cars, MARC advises.
On the Brunswick Line, Train 871, which normally only operates on Fridays, will be in service. The train departs from Union Station at 1:30 p.m. And Train 873, which departs from Union Station at 3:30 p.m., will extend service to Harpers Ferry, Duffields and Martinsburg. Train 875, which departs Union Station at 4:25 p.m., will end service in Brunswick.
There won’t be any early departures on the Camden Line but Train 848, which departs from Union Station at 3:30 p.m., will have additional capacity.
Loudoun County commuter buses will run on regular schedules except for the following buses, which will instead be used to provide midday service for those returning home early after performing an orderly shutdown:
- Routes 504 and 507 — Ashburn North/CFC
- Dulles South — Route 606
- Leesburg/Harmony/Purcellville — Routes 811 and 820
If the government is still shut down on Tuesday, Loudoun County buses will operate on their regular schedules in the a.m. and p.m. Staff will meet on Tuesday to determine what reductions in service should be made based on the numbers of passengers Monday and Tuesday.
Virginia Railway Express and Metro trains and buses will operate on their normal schedules on Monday. If the government shutdown continues, transit agencies will reassess their schedules and update as needed.
