Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Delays Expected on Metro’s Red Line Through End of November

CAROLINE PAPPAS FOR THE HOYA Red line commuters can expect delays for a six-week period in October and November as WMATA continues repairs.

Red line commuters can expect six weeks of disrupted service starting Oct. 16 as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority starts the next phase of a water damage mitigation project.

Trains are scheduled to run on a single track on weeknights after 9 p.m. through Nov. 24 in the suburban Montgomery County, Md. sections of the line. Train service will also be limited on weekends from Oct. 21 through Nov. 19.

Riders should expect minor delays and congestion, according to WMATA. The work will impact Georgetown students leaving from the Dupont Circle station on their way to the National Mall and Capitol Hill areas and back, particularly in the evenings and on weekends.

The service disruptions follow WMATA’s announcement last week that it will expand a pilot project launched in July to mitigate water leaks. The project, which seeks to reduce the water damage to the railcars and tunnels, is testing a “curtain grouting” technique to add a waterproof membrane to the exterior of the tunnel walls using a proprietary polymer-based material.

WMATA hopes to complete the new phase of the project by the end of November.

The program has already seen success on the treated segments, according to WMATA. Two test segments — a 2,000-foot section of inbound track between stops at Medical Center and Bethesda and the entire Medical Center interlocking — have remained dry and undamaged, despite heavy rainfall in late July and August that brought more than three inches of precipitation in one day.

District officials began weighing in on and discussing possible courses of action for these repairs in July. Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner said the pilot program is much-needed, despite the service disruptions it may cause.

“Red line riders will greatly benefit if this innovative approach to preventing water from entering the system works,” Berliner said, according to a WMATA press release in July. “As everyone knows, water and electricity are not a good combination. While there will be unavoidable disruptions, in the long run, our community will be much better served if this approach works out.’

WMATA General Manager and CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld said the project has shown promise as a solution to the line’s persisting problems with water damage.

“Since this tunnel segment was constructed, Metro has fought a battle against Mother Nature, and Mother Nature has always had the upper hand,” Wiedefeld said at a July press conference. “Just as we have addressed the root causes of track infrastructure problems and railcar reliability issues, I want to address the water infiltration problem head on and find a sustainable solution. Our Red line riders deserve nothing less.”

Christine McNeill (SFS ’20) rides the Metro’s Red line regularly to get to and from her internship at the U.S. Capitol. According to McNeill, these disruptions will only further add to the headache that is public transportation in Washington, D.C.

“Frankly, public transport in D.C. is just bad, and construction will only make it worse. Now I basically won’t be able to take the Red line,” McNeill said.

WMATA Board Chair Jack Evans said at the July conference that the project “perfectly illustrates why we need a dedicated funding source for our Metro system.” WMATA leadership, including Evans and Wiedefeld, have said that a dedicated permanent funding stream is necessary to save the financially troubled transit system, but policymakers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia have not agreed to a concrete proposal.

“Fixing this problem will not be cheap or easy, but it is absolutely necessary and the right thing to do,” Evans said.

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