Metro Closes System All Day Wednesday for Emergency Inspections
Metro General Manager/CEO Paul Wiedefeld has announced the full closure of the Metrorail system on Wednesday, March 16, for emergency inspections of the system’s third-rail power cables following an early morning tunnel fire yesterday.
This is the first time the system has been shut down for non-weather conditions.
According to a news release, the inspections of approximately 600 “jumper cables” will occur along all tunnel segments on the Metrorail system. At the conclusion of the inspection process, there may be a need for additional rail service outages. Officials said any further service impacts will be announced to the public as soon as they are known.
“While the risk to the public is very low, I cannot rule out a potential life safety issue here, and that is why we must take this action immediately,” Wiedefeld said. “When I say safety is our highest priority, I mean it. That sometimes means making tough, unpopular decisions, and this is one of those times. I fully recognize the hardship this will cause.”
The Metrorail system is planning to close at its normal time tonight (midnight) and remain closed until 5 a.m. Thursday. All six Metrorail lines and all 91 stations will be closed on Wednesday.
The unprecedented action follows an early morning electrical fire involving a cable in the tunnel outside McPherson Square Station yesterday. There were no injuries; however, service was disrupted along the Blue, Orange and Silver lines throughout the day.
“The investigation into yesterday’s cable fire at McPherson Square is ongoing,” Wiedefeld said. “As a preliminary matter, the conditions appear disturbingly similar to those in the L’Enfant incident of a year ago, and our focus is squarely on mitigating any risk of a fire elsewhere on the system.”
Paul Wiedefeld
Metrobus and MetroAccess service will continue to operate on a regular schedule. Alternate service options throughout the region will be extremely limited, and severe crowding is expected on buses. The public is advised to make alternate travel arrangements as early as possible.
Red Line Stations to Close This Weekend for Purple Line Work
The Red Line will close four Metro stations in Montgomery County during Presidents’ Day weekend. The Silver Spring, Forest Glen, Wheaton and Glenmont stations will be closed in order to allow for Purple Line construction and integration. The shutdown will take place from Saturday, Feb. 15 to Monday, Feb. 17. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit […]
Residents Find Ways To Commute Without Metrorail Service (PHOTOS)
Metrorail service remained suspended on Wednesday for emergency inspections following a tunnel fire near McPherson Square Station on Monday. Metro officials say nearly 600 “jumper cables” need to be inspected due to safety concerns. For Montgomery County commuters who rely on the service that meant looking for alternative methods of transportation. Gregory Newsome uses the […]
Metro Closes System All Day Wednesday for Emergency Inspections
Metro General Manager/CEO Paul Wiedefeld has announced the full closure of the Metrorail system on Wednesday, March 16, for emergency inspections of the system’s third-rail power cables following an early morning tunnel fire yesterday. This is the first time the system has been shut down for non-weather conditions. According to a news release, the inspections […]
Ride On Bus Service Adding Buses on Wednesday
Montgomery County’s Ride On bus service is planning to add buses when possible to routes on Wednesday in response to the Metro rail outage. According to a county news release, there are 85,000 daily Metro rail travelers in Montgomery County. Commuters are encouraged to adjust their travel plans accordingly. Montgomery County Government will be open […]
Mikulski on Metro Shutdown: "I'm Frustrated That It Has Come To This"
U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski issued the following statement on WMATA’s decision to shut down Metro: “This decision is an incredible disruption to everyone who uses Metrorail. However, safety first must be a mandate. More than 700,000 people ride this system each day. For those who work on it, for those who ride it to work, […]
Engage us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Tweets by @mymcmedia