Washington DC is shutting down the entire subway system on Wednesday with no notice for urgent safety checks
The Metro subway system will shut down at midnight on Tuesday and remain closed until at least 5am Thursday
The shutdown comes after a fire broke out on Monday about 4.30am in the tunnel outside the McPherson Square station in downtown Washington
The full-day, full-system shutdown was announced with almost no notice
It poses a potentially disastrous commute for hundreds of thousands of workers in the federal government and private sector alike
By Kelly Mclaughlin For Dailymail.com and Associated Press
Published: 16:00 EST, 15 March 2016 | Updated: 17:28 EST, 15 March 2016
The entire Washington, DC, subway system will shut down for at least 29 hours to inspect electrical components on the tracks following a fire near one of the system’s tunnels, officials said on Tuesday.
The shutdown comes after a fire broke out on Monday about 4.30am in the tunnel outside the McPherson Square station in downtown Washington. The fire led to delays on the orange, blue and silver lines, which go through the station.
The Metro subway system will shut down at midnight on Tuesday and remain closed until at least 5am Thursday, which is the regularly scheduled opening time, an official said.
The entire Metro subway system in Washington, DC, will shut down at midnight on Tuesday and remain closed until at least 5am Thursday
The entire Metro subway system in Washington, DC, will shut down at midnight on Tuesday and remain closed until at least 5am Thursday
The shutdown, which was announced with almost no notice, poses a potentially disastrous commute for hundreds of thousands of workers in the federal government and private sector alike.
Metro head Paul J Wiedefeld said the system would be shut down all of Wednesday. He made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the agency’s headquarters.
‘While the risk to the public is very low, I cannot rule out a potential life safety issue here, and that is why we must take this action immediately,’ Wiedefeld said
A fire on the tracks led to major delays throughout the system on Monday.
The fire was caused by the same kind of electrical component that malfunctioned last year and caused a train to fill with smoke inside a downtown Washington tunnel, killing one passenger and sickening dozens.
During the shutdown, Wiedefeld said that about 600 so-called jumper cables will be inspected throughout the system, adding that those cables were inspected after the L’Enfant Plaza fire and deficient ones replaced.
Metro is the nation’s second-busiest transit network, serving more than 700,000 riders daily, and a vital link for federal workers and other commuters to Washington from Maryland and Virginia.
Rep Gerry Connolly, a Virginia Democrat, called on the US Office of Personnel Management to allow federal workers to take unscheduled leave or telework on Wednesday, calling the decision to shut down ‘a gut punch to the hundreds of thousands of commuters who depend on the system.’
The shutdown comes after a fire broke out on Monday about 4.30am in the tunnel outside the McPherson Square station in downtown Washington
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The shutdown comes after a fire broke out on Monday about 4.30am in the tunnel outside the McPherson Square station in downtown Washington
‘While I am extremely frustrated with this news, safety must be our No 1 priority,’ Connolly said in a statement. ‘This dramatic action highlights the need for long-term safety and reliability improvements throughout the system.’
DC Councilman Jack Evans, the chairman of Metro’s board said that while the system had previously been closed for days for weather, including earlier this year, it was believed to be the first time the system had shut down for mechanical reasons.
Commuters have already began expressing their dread for a day without their Metro.
Justice Department intern Atlee Ahern said the system is used by virtually everyone to get to their jobs. When Metro is shut down, she said the whole city shuts down.
Ahern, who rides Metro from her home in Bethesda, Maryland, said she did not see how it would be possible for her to get to the office.
She was hoping the federal government would grant unscheduled leave or telework, as two congressmen have suggested.
Metro’s closure is likely to be a boon for taxi and ridesharing companies.
Roy Spooner is general manager of Yellow Cab of D.C. He said he’s calling in extra staff to help take phone calls and sent word to his drivers to get ready for Wednesday.
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