Commuters in the US capital were returning to their regular routines yesterday morning after an unprecedented day-long shutdown of the Washington subway system.
However, the problems that led to the closure are not expected to be fixed easily and could continue to cause headaches for riders, some of whom have already abandoned the aging system because of safety and reliability concerns.
The 29-hour shutdown, scheduled to end at 5am yesterday, was ordered to allow workers to inspect 600 third-rail power cables throughout the Metro transit system. An electrical fire on the tracks on Monday, similar to one that killed a passenger last year, raised grave safety concerns, Metro general manager Paul Wiedefeld said.
The inspections revealed 26 areas of concern requiring replacement or repair, Wiedefeld said, including three he called “show-stoppers.”
Most of the issues were fixed during the closure, but Wiedefeld said the next step was to understand why the problems occurred.
Riders take more than 700,000 trips on Metro trains every day because it is still a convenient way to get downtown from Maryland, Virginia and the city’s outer neighborhoods. However, the system has become less reliable and ridership has declined.
Many riders shrugged off the closure, saying it is what they have come to expect.
One popular Twitter feed about the system was running a poll on whether the shutdown would solve “Metro’s flaming cables problem.” Thousands voted, with more than three-quarters saying no.
“Metro sucks,” said Bob Jones, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, as he waited for a bus.
The subways are “always slow, always crowded,” he said.
Members of the US Congress representing the region are also getting fed up.
Representative Gerry Connolly, a northern Virginia Democrat, said in a statement that federal and regional leaders must commit to providing the funding and oversight needed to improve Metro.
He also said some high-level managers need to be fired.
“Those responsible for allowing these issues to languish should step down or be removed,” Connolly said.
Wiedefeld, who took over in November last year after running the Baltimore-Washington airport, said in a public letter this month that the agency must “improve safety and security, deliver more reliable service and continue reforms to get our financial house in order.”
The system has closed for days for weather, but this was believed to be the first shutdown for mechanical reasons.
Delayed trains, closed escalators and other annoyances have become frequent, but the Metro has had deadly accidents as well, including a 2009 collision between two trains that killed nine people. Last year, a passenger died when malfunctioning electrical equipment filled a train with smoke.
Monday’s fire was “disturbingly similar,” Wiedefeld said in a statement.
No one was hurt because it occurred before the system was open.
Michaun Jordan, 51, said she appreciated Metro’s caution.
“At first I was a bit disappointed. Then I thought about it; it’s best to be safe,” said Jordan, who took a US$15 taxi for part of her commute, which is normally far cheaper.
Leander Talley, 52, who lives in Dale City, Virginia, and works in Alexandria, was not surprised by the shutdown.
“I kind of figured it would happen because of all the problems they’ve been having, but not on such short notice,” said Talley, who woke up an hour-and-a-half early to get a head start on a grueling commute, saying he had to “catch five buses.”
Federal workers were encouraged to take the day off or telecommute. District of Columbia public schools, which do not have dedicated buses, said tardiness and absences would be excused.
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