This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Takoma Station to Close Over Labor Day Weekend

Red Line repairs prevent single-track strategy.

Repairs to Metro's Red Line over Labor Day weekend are forcing the closure of the Red Line from Takoma to Glenmont.

The scheduled repairs are actually taking place outside the Silver Spring station, but the equipment to replace the large track switches is so large that "there would not be enough room there in terms of trains being able to get through that particular area," said Steven Taubenkibel, public information officer for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Single tracking, therefore, would not work in this case.

The maintenance requires that five Red Line stations be closed from 10 p.m. Friday until 1 a.m. Tuesday: Takoma, Silver Spring, Forest Glen, Wheaton and Glenmont. During that time, Red Line trains will operate only between the Shady Grove and Fort Totten Metrorail stations. Normal service is scheduled to resume at 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Find out what's happening in Takoma Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The repairs are being conducted over the holiday weekend because that is when ridership is light, Taubenkibel said. It is an effort to "get the work out of the way so we don't have to go back there and do it again," he added.

Many Metro riders were supportive of the need to shut down part of the Red Line to implement the repairs.

Find out what's happening in Takoma Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Metro customer Ruben Lazarus said he understood the decision to shut down part of the rail line.

"I think they should do exactly what they are doing," Lazarus said. "Take it down over a three-day weekend when no one is trying to get to work."

Matt Dickinson, another Red Line rider, said that these repairs show him that the transit agency is trying to improve its service.

"I think there's been a lot of bad planning for a long time at Metro, but now they are trying to resolve that," he said. "Metro has some significant maintenance problems — we all recognize that — and the opportunity to do those things is somewhat limited."

Nonetheless, closing down a section of the Red Line will inconvenience some riders, and "it won't be good," said Metro rider Margaret Ross.

To help people get around the work zone, WMATA plans to operate free shuttle buses to all the stations between Fort Totten and Glenmont. The transit authority recommends that customers build an extra 40 minutes into their travel plans if they need to pass through the work zone.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?