In a Monday afternoon update, Metro said it has made progress getting more trains on the track and improving wait times, but it will be a while before schedules are back to normal.
As of Monday, 40 trains are currently servicing riders, eight of which were added over the weekend. The new numbers bring an increase of 25% over last week, according to Sherri Ly, a Metro spokeswoman.
Of the added trains — most of which are of the old 2000, 3000 and 6000 series — four have been designated to “fill in the gaps” whenever there is a crowding or maintenance issue within the system.
As a result, Ly said, customers can expect to see improvements in wait times of 25% to 50%. The current average wait times, she said, should be:
- 15 minutes on the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines.
- 20 minutes on the Green Line.
- 30 minutes on the Yellow Line.
Service has also been extended out to Largo Town Center on the Silver Line.
As far as Metro reaching its goal of 50 cars in service, Ly said that power has been restored at the Shady Grove yard, and that crews are actively preparing and inspecting replacement cars. A timeline on those replacements hasn’t been given.
With regard to the sidelined 7000 series cars, Ly said Metro is working closely with the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission to create a draft test plan for restoring them to service.
No updates were made on the National Transportation Safety Board investigation into last month’s Blue Line derailment, which caused the model to be taken offline.
