WASHINGTON — St. Patrick’s Day is Saturday, and while this would normally be a weekend when Metro tried to limit major track, urgent repairs on the Silver and Blue lines require significant schedule changes.
The work will effect Friday’s commute and and force single-tracking on other lines later in the evening.
Metro will be fixing cracked concrete on Blue and Silver line tracks.
Blue and Silver lines
Through closing Sunday, Silver Line service will be significantly reduced, and stations east of Stadium-Armory will not have any Blue Line service.
Silver Line trains will run every 24 minutes between Wiehle-Reston East and Largo Town Center due to repairs of a cracking concrete slab on a bridge near Benning Road.
Blue Line trains will run normally Friday in Virginia and downtown D.C., but will go to New Carrollton rather than Largo Town Center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday evening, from 7 p.m. through to the system’s closing at 1 a.m., Blue Line trains will only be scheduled every 24 minutes with additional single-tracking between Braddock Road and Van Dorn Street.
That single-tracking is also scheduled in the first hour of rail service Sunday morning, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Riders on the Blue and Silver lines in Maryland and D.C. should consider using buses or the Orange Line instead. On Friday, commuters could also consider commuter buses or MARC trains.
In Virginia, Silver Line riders should consider using the Orange Line or bus service instead. Work on the Blue and Silver lines is also scheduled weeknights this week after 9:30 p.m.
Metro recently reduced the daily weekday parking fee at West Falls Church to $3 to encourage more riders to park at the station.
Saturday parking fees for riders who pay with a SmarTrip just used to ride the train are now $2 at all stations except Wiehle-Reston East, where Saturday parking remains free.
Orange Line
Metro promises regular Orange Line service most of the day Saturday and Sunday.
However, Orange Line trains are only scheduled to run every 24 minutes Saturday evening from 7 p.m. to the 1 a.m. system closing, and for the first hour of rail service Sunday morning from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Regular Orange Line service is scheduled the rest of the day Sunday through closing at 11 p.m.
Yellow Line
On Saturday, Yellow Line trains will run normally until 7 p.m., when single-tracking begins between Braddock Road and Huntington. From 7 p.m. Saturday through 9 a.m. Sunday, trains will run only every 24 minutes when the rail system is open.
After 9 a.m. Sunday, the Yellow Line is scheduled to operate normal weekend service.
Red Line
The Red Line is largely scheduled to operate normally this weekend, but there is single-tracking scheduled downtown after 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday that could slow trips home from St. Patrick’s Day parties.
The single-tracking is scheduled between Farragut North and Judiciary Square.
There is no track work scheduled on the Green Line this weekend.
