Metro increased train service Monday, following a derailment last month that led the transit agency to pull 60% of its fleet of railcars from the tracks.
Metro was set to have 39 trains in service starting Monday, compared to 32 on Friday.
Here’s how often you can expect trains:
- Blue Line: Every 30-40 minutes
- Green Line: Every 20 minutes
- Orange Line: Every 30-40 minutes
- Red Line: Every 15-20 minutes
- Silver Line: Every 30-40 minutes, with full service between Wiehle-Reston East and Largo Town Center
- Yellow Line: Every 30-40 minutes
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“We are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore more service in the coming weeks and continue to develop plans for inspections to return our 7000-series railcar fleet to service,” Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said in a statement.
The transit agency pulled all of its 7000-series rail cars after Oct. 12's partial derailment on the Blue Line, which happened near the Arlington Cemetery station.
Nearly 200 riders sat on the dark train and then walked through a tunnel the equivalent of about six football fields to get to safety. Some riders reported smoke on the train and made panicked calls to family members to tell them they loved them, fearing the worst.
One person was taken to a hospital. Many more people could have been hurt or even killed, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said at a news conference.
Wiedefeld said WMATA is continuing to work with the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission on a plan to get the 7000-series railcars back into service. Wiedefeld said the transit agency has finished inspections of all its 7000-series railcars for the wheel defect that caused the derailment.
Metro is working to bring older model 2000- and 3000-series trains out of storage and return more 6000-series trains that are under repair back into service.
