Metro is planning major track work that will affect all train lines this weekend even as the Washington Capitals have a home playoff game and the Washington Nationals play the Philadelphia Phillies at the same time.
Taking the Red, Green or Yellow Lines to get to the Verizon Center or the ballpark? Hurry up and wait.
The agency is planning to shut rail service on a segment of the Green Line, which will limit the Yellow Line, too. Red Line trains will have to share a track in not one, but two central areas. The Orange and Blue lines will have slowdowns as trains share a single track along a section.
| Metro maintenance |
| The work begins at 10 p.m. Friday and lasts through Sunday. |
| » Green Line: The northern end of the line will be closed from Greenbelt to Fort Totten. That means four stations will be closed — Greenbelt, College Park, Prince George’s Plaza and West Hyattsville. Free shuttle buses will ferry riders along the line. |
| » Yellow Line: Trains will only run as far north as Mount Vernon. |
| » Red Line: Trains will single-track between Forest Glen and Takoma and between Van Ness and Dupont. |
| » Blue and Orange lines: Trains will share a single track between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory. |
Metro planned the work in advance, well before the NHL playoff schedule was set. But Metro isn’t planning to change the schedule after reviewing the conflicts.
“In this region, rarely does a weekend go by without a major event,” spokeswoman Caroline Lukas wrote in an email. “Unfortunately, we are unable to delay this critical rebuilding work that will improve safety and reliability.”
Typically sports fans flock to games via the Metro, especially using the Green, Yellow and Red lines, the very lines most affected by this weekend’s work. Many of them also are new or infrequent riders, adding to the confusion.
On any weekend, two pro sports events at the same time would be a challenge. On Saturday, the games start just 35 minutes apart, with the puck dropping at 12:30 p.m. and batters up at 1:05 p.m.
Make those games big ones — game 4 of the NHL playoffs against the New York Rangers and a baseball game against the fan-loyal Phillies –and the day gets even busier.
Then add the track work, including a shutdown on the Green Line and delays everywhere else.
On Sunday, the Nats play a second game starting at 8:05 p.m., which means fans will be hoping for a short game so they can get home amid the rail delays before the system closes at midnight.
The agency plans to add “few additional trains on standby” after the games if needed, Lukas said.
Metro has run into scheduling conflicts before but typically has only taken a break from track work for the National Cherry Blossom Festival and major holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and July 4.
