5 things to know about Metro’s cuts to rush-hour service, routes

WASHINGTON — Metro cuts scheduled service beginning Sunday, June 25, across the bus and rail systems.

Here are five things riders need to know:

1. Rush-hour rail schedules cut

Starting Monday, June 26, end-of-line rail stations are scheduled to see trains every eight minutes at rush hour, rather than every six minutes, which has been the schedule for years.

That leads to a reduction from 10 trains scheduled per hour to 7.5 in each direction on each line at the height of rush hour, with more frequent service downtown.

Metro had often failed to meet the promised goal of running trains every six minutes on each line.

Under the new rush-hour schedule, trains are now scheduled to arrive about every four minutes in most cases at stations served by multiple lines and at stations on the Red Line between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Silver Spring.

Outside of rush hours, Metro is not changing scheduled service levels, and track work will continue.

After a Red Line shutdown wraps up Sunday, the next 24/7 work zone is scheduled in August.

2. Yellow Line Rush Plus canceled

One of the largest reductions in rush-hour rail service comes between Greenbelt and Mt. Vernon Square, since Metro is ending Yellow Line Rush Plus service.

Metro began the additional rush-hour trains between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt in 2012, as changes leading up to the 2014 launch of the Silver Line saw Blue Line service reduced.

Now, the Blue Line is the only line that will see an increase in service as part of these service changes, since it will be scheduled at the same new rush-hour frequency (every eight minutes) as all other lines. It had been scheduled for every 12 minutes, since every second rush-hour train from Franconia-Springfield was a Yellow Line train.

Metro’s updated service map, showing the changes that go into effect June 25, as well as a few slightly changed station names. Click to expand. (Courtesy WMATA)

3. Regular bus routes cut

Metro is canceling a number of bus routes as part of the new budget, while turning others back at Metro stations instead of continuing service into downtown D.C. Several routes are also being tweaked.

Canceled routes include the W19 Indian Head Express; the 7X Lincolnia-Pentagon; the 13Y Union Station-Reagan National Airport off-hours route; the 17A and 17F Kings Park routes; the 18R and 18S Burke Centre routes, and the 28X Leesburg Pike Limited.

4. Airport bus routes cut back

The 5A express bus to and from Dulles Airport and the B30 express bus between Greenbelt and BWI-Marshall Airport are each being cut back.

The cuts are most significant to the B30, with weekend service completely eliminated. B30 service on weekdays will be reduced to one scheduled trip per hour.

Depending on the time of day and the start and end points of trips, riders may be able to use MARC Penn Line service between BWI-Marshall Airport Rail Station, New Carrollton and Union Station instead, including the limited weekend service.