More midday work on Red Line

Metro is adding another midday work zone to the Red Line today. Trains will share a track between Friendship Heights and Medical Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Feb. 11 to clear room for a track work zone.

This is unrelated to the Monday morning emergency at Rockville that delayed many commuters. The cracked rail that forced trains to share the other track has been replaced. The midday work is part of Metro's more aggressive program of track maintenance announced this month. There will be more midday work zones throughout 2011, as well as more extensive weekend projects. Earlier this month, another midday work zone was set up between Silver Spring and Forest Glen on the other side of the Red Line.

Schedule

This is the scheduling plan for the new midday work zone: Red Line trains will leave the ends of the line at Shady Grove and Glenmont about every 18 minutes while the work is taking place. Every other train traveling in the direction of Shady Grove will end its run at Friendship Heights and head back into downtown Washington. That means service will be more frequent in the more crowded center of the line. Between Friendship Heights and Silver Spring, trains should arrive about every eight to 10 minutes.