It’s hard to fall from “somewhat safe” and “questionably reliable,” but the beleaguered Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has managed that feat. Having started an aggressive, long-overdue maintenance program in June, WMATA found that summer only added to its woes, as train delays left commuters piling up on platforms during rush hour and torrential rains and flash flooding filled underground stations with water.

Saying that the system needed additional maintenance hours in order to finish long-overdue work, WMATA General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld announced systemwide early closures in May, drastically cutting the metro’s hours of operation.