The Washington, D.C. area’s popular yet maligned Metrorail subway debuted in 1976 — and is currently undergoing its largest sweep of renovations to date.
Click here for all you’ll need to know about Metro repairs, single-tracks, and outright closures.
Serving the Nation’s Capital and adjacent reaches of Maryland and Virginia with comfortable, quiet and carpeted trains, high-design stations and service offered every day, night and weekend, Metrorail was long the darling of the DMV. However, the entire six-line system was designed with only one track per direction for each line, and as Metrorail expanded, funding was earmarked largely for construction rather than maintenance.
As a result, in the last decade or so, Metrorail has been increasingly criticized for unreliable service and frequent breakdowns, as well as rain-flooded stations, a track fire, an oil spill, a rush-hour derailment at the heart of the Mall, a fatal crash, and a dramatic incident that left one rider dead and dozens injured inside a stalled, smoke-filled train. In 2015, after years of lip service by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) stepped in to oversee a year-long overhaul of Metrorail.
Called SafeTrack, this overhaul began in March 2016, and it’s so far been plagued by reports of significant delays on every line, stalled escalators during rush hours, and safety violations by Metrorail repair workers, as well as dangerous incidents like drivers running red lights at stations, smoke in a Green/Red-line station tunnel, and a derailment on the still-new Silver Line.
The chart below illustrates the repair schedule yet to come — but please note that unforeseen conditions/incidents mean this schedule is subject to change:
Start/End | Lines | Impact | Stations Affected |
Aug. 14-18 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking McPherson Square to Smithsonian | Metro Center & |
Aug. 14-18 | ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Fort Totten to Prince George’s Plaza | West Hyattsville |
Aug. 20-Sept. 5 | ![]() ![]() |
Single tracking Franconia-Springfield to Van Dorn Street | Franconia-Springfield & Van Dorn Street |
Aug. 20-21 | ![]() |
Weekend single tracking Wheaton to Glenmont | Wheaton & Glenmont |
Aug. 20-21 | ![]() ![]() |
Weekend single tracking Federal Center to Eastern Market | Capitol South |
Aug. 21-25 | ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Fort Totten to Prince George’s Plaza | West Hyattsville |
Aug. 22-25 |
|
Weeknight single tracking Stadium-Armory to Addison Road | Benning Road &
Capitol Heights |
Aug. 23-26 | ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Dupont Circle to Van Ness | Woodley Park &
Cleveland Park |
Aug. 27-28 | ![]() |
Weekend single tracking Grosvenor to Twinbrook | White Flint |
Aug. 28-Sept. 1 |
|
Weeknight single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Aug. 28 | ![]() |
Emergency drill shutdown Pentagon to L’Enfant Plaza | Pentagon & |
Aug. 29-Sept 1 |
|
Weeknight single tracking Stadium-Armory to Addison Road | Benning Road &
Capitol Heights |
Aug. 30-Sept. 2 | ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Dupont Circle to Van Ness | Woodley Park &
Cleveland Park |
Sept. 2-4 |
|
Weekend single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Sept. 3-5 |
|
Weekend single tracking Stadium-Armory to Minnesota Ave & Benning Road | Minnesota Ave, Stadium-Armory & Benning Road |
Sept. 3-4 | ![]() |
Weekend single tracking Silver Spring to Glenmont | Forest Glen & Wheaton |
Sept. 5-8 | ![]() ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Sept. 6-9 | ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Farragut North to Dupont Circle | Farragut North & |
Sept. 9-Oct. 20 | ![]() |
Single tracking Vienna to West Falls Church | Vienna, Dunn Loring & West Falls Church |
Sept. 9-11 |
|
Weekend single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Sept. 9-11 |
|
Weekend single tracking National Airport to Braddock Road | National Airport & Braddock Road |
Sept. 10-11 | ![]() |
Weekend single tracking Silver Spring to Glenmont | Forest Glen & Wheaton |
Sept. 12-15 | ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Silver Spring to Glenmont | Forest Glen & Wheaton |
Sept. 12-15 | ![]() ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Sept. 13-16 | ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Farragut North to Dupont Circle | Farragut North & |
Sept. 16-18 |
|
Weekend single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Sept. 17-18 | ![]() |
Weekend shutdown Pentagon to L’Enfant Plaza | Pentagon & |
Sept. 19-22 |
|
Weeknight single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Sept. 20-23 | ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Farragut North to Judiciary Square | Metro Center & |
Sept. 23-25 |
|
Weekend single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Sept. 26-29 | ![]() ![]() |
Weeknight single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 |
|
Weekend single tracking Mt. Vernon Square to U Street | Shaw-Howard |
Oct. 10-Nov. 1 | ![]() |
Line Segment Shutdown Fort Totten to NoMa-Gallaudet | Brookland & |
Nov. 3-11 | ![]() ![]() |
Single tracking East Falls Church to West Falls Church | East Falls Church &
West Falls Church |
Nov. 12-Dec. 6 | ![]() |
Single tracking Greenbelt to College Park | Greenbelt & College Park |
Dec. 7-24 | ![]() |
Line Segment Shutdown Rosslyn to Pentagon | Arlington Cemetery |
Jan. 2-13 | ![]() ![]() |
Single tracking Braddock Road to Huntington/Van Dorn Street | King Street &
Eisenhower Avenue |
Jan. 23-Feb. 3 |
|
Single tracking Braddock Road to Huntington/Van Dorn Street | King Street &
Eisenhower Avenue |
Mar. 6-19 |
|
Single tracking East Falls Church to West Falls Church | East Falls Church &
West Falls Church |
The latest Metrorail controversy is WMATA’s plan to shorten weekend night service; Friday-Saturday service would end at 12 midnight instead of 3am, and Sunday service would end at 10pm instead of 12 midnight. If you enjoy attending late-night events like concerts and plays, Metrorail could become a stressful choice as you rush to make the last train — or find yourself stranded.
For now, before you choose Metrorail to get to that Nats game, catch your flight out of DCA, or visit the National Mall, be sure to note updates to the Safe Track schedule, as well as check out The Washington Post’s “Dr. Gridlock” transportation column — and see ParkWhiz’s guide to Washington, DC parking made simple to map out your Plan B within the DMV!