WASHINGTON — Four Green Line Metro stations that have been closed for months in order to complete maintenance work reopened three days ahead of schedule and under budget.
The Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md, Hyattsville Crossing, and West Hyattsville stations on the Green Line closed on July 22 while crews worked to improve rail network technologies. Metro reopened the stations on Saturday.
During the closure, Metro installed more than 21,000 feet of fiber-optic cable to improve radio and signal capabilities and provide the infrastructure necessary for future upgrades such as Communications-Based Train Control. Since the cables are housed in the middle of the two tracks, construction crews could only complete the work while both tracks were out of service.
Additionally, crews replaced 8,000 feet of rail, 900 rail fasteners, 1,250 wood crossties, and resurfaced 20,000 feet of track. Crews also removed 60,000 feet of vegetation along the tracks, improving safety by providing a clear line of sight for train operators and maintenance workers.
While the stations were closed, free shuttle services provided around 880,000 customer trips. The shuttle routes will continue through the end of service on Friday.
Free parking will remain in place at Greenbelt, College Park-U of Md, Hyattsville Crossing, and West Hyattsville stations through Monday, Sept. 4. While the stations will be open for regular service on Sept. 2, there may be some residual impacts at the Fort Totten Station Kiss & Ride lot while crews return the lot to its normal condition.
“We are proud of the important infrastructure improvements we made this summer which will benefit our customers with more reliable and timely service for years to come,” Metro’s Chief of Infrastructure Andy Off. “We thank our customers for their patience as we completed this necessary work ahead of schedule and under budget to modernize our rail system. We can’t wait to see you on board!”