INTERVIEW – STEVE BURNS – WMAL’s Reporter on-the-ground at a metro in Virginia
- MONDAY COMMUTE: How Metro’s SafeTrack plan will affect your trip. Whether you ride a train to work or not, you should be prepared for delays as a result of the first phase of Metro’s SafeTrack. WASHINGTON – Monday’s morning rush hour marks the first commute since Metro began it’s year-long SafeTrack maintenance project, and it’s expected to be a tough ride– whether you’re taking the train or not. The first phase of construction lasts until June 16, and it means trains are single-tracking at the Ballston and East Falls Church stations in Arlington. Workers were down on the tracks making repairs at Ballston Sunday evening. Orange and Silver Line riders will be most impacted by the first surge, with trains running more infrequently– but the work is expected to have a ripple effect on other commuters as well.
- Switch problem causes delays on Metro’s Orange and Silver lines. For riders on Metro’s Orange Line, there were also delays in the direction of New Carrollton because of an earlier problem with a train outside the Dunn Loring stop.Riders should expect delays on Metro’s Silver and Orange lines because of a switch problem outside the East Falls Church stop. This comes as commuters are dealing with the first work day of Metro’s SafeTrack program, a major overhaul effort of the rail system that will last a year and impact riders with crowds and delays. Today, trains are sharing a track between the Ballston and East Falls Church stops of the Silver and Orange lines.
