Steve Burns
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced Metrorail will operate on a Saturday schedule, with trains approximately every 12 minutes on outer lines, on Tuesday. Buses will start the day on a “severe” snow plan, indicating service primarily on major roads only. Wiedefeld indicated an expansion of bus service later in the day is possible if conditions allow for it.
Rail service will start at 5am as per usual on both above and below-ground stations. Trains will depart end stations every 12 minutes, meaning downtown core stations should see trains every four to six minutes. Single-tracking will continue in the SafeTrack work zone between Van Dorn Street, Huntington, and Reagan National Airport stations, however workers will be reassigned to snow removal duties. The shuttle bus from Franconia-Springfield to the Pentagon will also not operate.
“We will be activating switch heaters and heat tape along the rail line. We’ll start running de-icing trains later this evening, and we’ll bring in contractors and Metro personnel for snow clearing operations,” Wiedefeld said at a Monday press conference. “In total, we have more than 600 pieces of snow-fighting equipment, and we’ll be using that very shortly.”
Metro announced on Sunday that MetroAccess, its paratransit service for the disabled, will be suspended at 4pm Monday and remain suspended all day Tuesday.
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (photo: WMATA)
