First day after #safetrack at #NoMa and trains not moving, not told why by @wmata #unsuckdcmetro pic.twitter.com/y4VpuGVpeg
— Kristi Clough (@kctravelbug) November 23, 2016
Offloaded at NoMa. They had to get another train to push our disabled train. @unsuckdcmetro #wmata pic.twitter.com/P8Z2Zi4SNy
— ˈdʒoʊi (@JayOhEeElEyeEe) November 23, 2016
@wmata I spoke to soon. This is Chinatown right now. #redline #safetrack pic.twitter.com/jLsPuOTLbk
— Jessica Harkins (@harkins_jessica) November 23, 2016
@wmata we have been stuck on this train for over 30 minutes. Standing room only. pic.twitter.com/3BxXoqI4gh
— Molly Simpson (@mollytsimpson) November 23, 2016
WASHINGTON — It was supposed to be the first day back to normal after a weekslong shutdown, but Red Line riders faced major delays Wednesday morning due to a series of issues including not enough trains on the tracks.
Riders complained of unusually long waits for extremely crowded trains, even apart from Wednesday morning’s more common issues like a train breakdown and medical emergency.
Later in the morning rush, a train with brake problems stalled between Brookland and Rhode Island Ave, adding to long waits.
Train breakdowns are the most common cause of delays, and the ripple effects can lead to stop and go service or trains not able to start their trips at all.
MetroHero, an independent app and site that compiles public Metro data, counted 16 to 20 Red Line trains along the line during Wednesday morning’s rush hour. That is similar to the number of trains recorded on the Red Line on Tuesday, while the line was still shut down between Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet and had reduced scheduled service elsewhere. It is around half as many trains as the Red Line had on a typical morning just before the Red Line shutdown began.
Metro has not yet responded to WTOP’s questions about why fewer trains than scheduled were out on the Red Line Wednesday or whether there would be an increase in the number of trains during the afternoon rush.
The 24/7 work zone that ended just before the system reopened Wednesday morning had cut off or limited access to and from some Metro rail yard space to the Red Line or other parts of the system.
Rail yards are used for rail car storage and maintenance, and are where trains are put together for service.
Before the 24/7 track work wrapped up, riders faced separate significant problems Tuesday night after a train broke down near Takoma and hundreds of riders were directed to shuttle buses.
The Red Line is Metro’s single busiest line, and faces additional crowds around Union Station Wednesday for one of Amtrak’s busiest days of the year.
Some riders still may have been happy they had avoided the roads Wednesday morning, given a pair of crashes Wednesday morning that closed the Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway in two places.
