Metro announces 2017 SafeTrack surges; Huntington users face single tracking, train switching

Workers repair tracks during one of the 2016 SafeTrack surges.

Metro released the 2017 SafeTrack schedule today, and it’s bad news for anyone who uses the Yellow Line at the Huntington Metro as part of their commute.

Real bad. 

Huntington users can expect basically a full month of single tracking starting in March. Additionally, during a three-week span in March, users will need to switch trains — probably more than once, depending on your commute — because of a gap in Yellow Line service.

The single-tracking and train-switching will come during the second scheduled surge of 2017, which runs from March 4-April 9. During the first part of that surge, from March 4 through March 26, the Yellow Line will be single tracking all day between Huntington and the King Street station. Blue Line trains using the same stretch of track will be single tracking as well. 

However, while the Yellow Line will only run from Huntington to King Street and from Reagan National Airport to Mount Vernon Square from March 4-26. That means no Yellow Line service between King Street and Reagan. So if you ride the Yellow Line all the way into D.C., which is the case for the vast majority of riders, you will need to switch to a Blue Line train at King Street, and then switch back to the Yellow Line at Reagan National Airport. Making things even harder — Blue Line trains will only run every 24 minutes during that part of the surge.

The second part of that surge runs from March 26-April 2. The Yellow Line “will operate normally” that week, according to Metro. However, the Blue Line will be single-tracked from Van Dorn Street to King Street that week, meaning the Yellow Line will likely be more crowded at Huntington.

The third part of that surge will be from April 3-9, and Metro says plainly that Yellow Line riders “should consider alternate travel options” that week. There will be single tracking from Huntington to King Street, and Yellow Line trains will only run every 24 minutes.

As in the previous surges, there will be bus alternatives set up for commuters, according to a Metro spokesman. The specifics of that schedule will not be released until closer to the start of the surges, the spokesman said.

The first SafeTrack surge of 2017 is from Feb. 11-28, and it won’t necessarily affect Huntington riders unless they transfer to the Blue Line during their commute. If that’s the case, they’ll need to find a commuting alternative because Metro is closing an entire section of Blue Line between the Pentagon and Rosslyn stations during that surge.

The final three surges of 2017, which have not been given a firm date yet, will all be in Maryland and will end in June.