DC Subway Shutdown Ends, but Systemic Problems Remain

WASHINGTON— Commuters in the nation’s capital were able to return to their regular routines Thursday morning after an unprecedented daylong shutdown of the Washington subway system.Metro tweeted early Thursday morning that it has resumed service on a...
DC Subway Shutdown Ends, but Systemic Problems Remain
Metro employee shuts down escalators to the McPherson Square Station in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The Metro subway system that serves the nation's capital and its Virginia and Maryland suburbs shut down for a full-day fo an emergency safety inspection of its third-rail power cables. Making for unusual commute, as the lack of service is forcing some people on the roads, while others are staying home or teleworking. AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
|Updated:

WASHINGTON—Commuters in the nation’s capital were able to return to their regular routines Thursday, March 17, after an unprecedented daylong shutdown of the Washington subway system.

Metro tweeted early Thursday morning that it has resumed service on all lines. Local television stations showed commuters walking into stations and waiting on platforms.

But the problems that led to the closure won’t be fixed so easily and will 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, which ended at 5 a.m. Thursday, was ordered to allow workers to inspect 600 third-rail power cables throughout the Metro transit system. An electrical fire on the tracks 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.

Morning traffic builds up on 14th street NW in downtown Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Morning traffic builds up on 14th street NW in downtown Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2016. AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais