Wyn Delano
WMAL.com
NEW CARROLLTON (WMAL) — Five stations on Metro’s Orange line will be single tracking Monday, as WMATA contractors realized they would need more time than just the weekend for concrete used in track repairs to set.
Metro says that the concrete was poured late due to issues with certain “mobile concrete plants.”
The affected stations, between New Carrollton and Cherverly, are on the eastern end of the line. Trains will run every sixteen minutes rather than every eight.
Additionally every other Orange Line train with begin and end in Stadium Armory, rather than New Carrollton, preserving relatively normal service to Vienna at the expense of more eastern, suburban commuters.
While Metro advises allowing 10-15 minutes of extra travel time, it is unclear as to whether that number will rise as the morning rush hour gets underway.
Construction and repair woes have plagued Washington’s Metro system, culminating last year in a disruptive “SafeTrack” repair schedule that was designed to eliminate weekday repair interruptions by causing temporary closures and service changes.
Copyright 2017 WMAL.com All Rights Reserved. (Photo: WMATA / Larry Levine)