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  • Silver Line Dulles WMATA Metrorail progress/pictures

  • Discussion related to DC area passenger rail services from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, MD. Includes Light Rail and Baltimore Subway.
Discussion related to DC area passenger rail services from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, MD. Includes Light Rail and Baltimore Subway.

Moderators: mtuandrew, therock, Robert Paniagua

 #1519340  by YOLO
 
Metro OIG report is out and it reports further issues with the concrete sealant and problems with the ballast in the railyard. Recommendation - Metro should reject the phase 2 project takeover in current conditions.

Metro OIG is calling for complete replacement of defective concrete and the ballast.

https://twitter.com/amaxsmith/status/11 ... 0045115392
 #1519412  by Sand Box John
 
WMATA Office of Inspector General Memorandum
Management Alert Results of Core Testing for Concrete Panels Silver Line Phase 2 (MA-20-0001) (217.5 KB PDF file)
FROM: OIG – Geoffrey A. Cherrington
TO: GMGR – Paul J. Wiedefeld.
DATE: August 16, 2019

The text of the memorandum provides an out for the contractor and MWAA. Will likely be litigation on how much and when.

WMATA Office of Inspector General Memorandum
Management Alert Track Ballast - Rail Yard Silver Line Phase 2 (MA-20-0002) (371.2 KB PDF file)
FROM: OIG – Geoffrey A. Cherrington
TO: GMGR – Paul J. Wiedefeld.
DATE: August 19, 2019

This one should be a reasonably easy fix.
 #1519989  by JDC
 
Metro's board just heard a presentation about 8 issues that are almost certainly pushing back the opening of the line past July 2020. The report details 8 issues that must be addressed before Metro will accept the project. https://wamu.org/story/19/09/12/here-ar ... e-project/. Here is the report https://www.wmata.com/about/board/meeti ... Update.pdf
 #1520091  by Sand Box John
 
JDC
Metro's board just heard a presentation about 8 issues that are almost certainly pushing back the opening of the line past July 2020. The report details 8 issues that must be addressed before Metro will accept the project. https://wamu.org/story/19/09/12/here-ar ... e-project/. Here is the report https://www.wmata.com/about/board/meeti ... Update.pdf


Four of the eight are being dealt with now. One or more of he remaining four may involve that out I mentioned in my post above, those don't will be dealt with like the other four.
 #1525710  by Sand Box John
 
Most of the issues that have plagued the project seemed to have been dealt with.

Opening date coming: Silver Line construction progress yields new optimism
11 20 2019 1700
Max Smith
WTOP FM 103.5

"After dire warnings about the status of the Silver Line extension a few months ago, many — but not all — of those involved in getting trains running to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County now appear more confident that riders will actually be getting on board as soon as next summer."
 #1525721  by JackRussell
 
Sand Box John wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2019 7:16 am Most of the issues that have plagued the project seemed to have been dealt with.

Opening date coming: Silver Line construction progress yields new optimism
11 20 2019 1700
Max Smith
WTOP FM 103.5

"After dire warnings about the status of the Silver Line extension a few months ago, many — but not all — of those involved in getting trains running to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County now appear more confident that riders will actually be getting on board as soon as next summer."
It looks like Vienna and Dunn Loring stations may be shut down next summer for platform rebuilding. Having the remainder of the Silver Line open partway through the summer may provide some relief if it happens while this work is underway. Or it may just create headaches. They talk about possible total shutdowns of EFC and WFC on some weekends, which would cut off the Silver Line from the rest of the system.

https://wtop.com/tracking-metro-24-7/20 ... mmer-2020/
 #1525884  by farecard
 
WashPost: Longterm maintenance needs due to flaws in phase 2 of Silver Line to cost Metro millions, board is told

Metro leaders were told Thursday that long-term maintenance for the troubled second phase of the Silver Line rail extension will cost millions of dollars and necessitate the periodic shutdown of tracks — and possibly stations — because of construction flaws.

The office of Metro’s inspector general and the transit agency’s liaison to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority — which is managing construction of the project — told board members that progress had been made in correcting several construction flaws that have caused delays, but four outstanding issues remain. They said the earliest the six-station extension could open was July, but that the project will probably need a few additional months and should open in September.

...

<https://www.washingtonpost.com/transpor ... d-is-told/>

Shades of the Paul Sarbanes No-Transit Center debacle.

So will WMAA pay WMATA for the ongoing expenses?
 #1526041  by Sand Box John
 
farecard
Shades of the Paul Sarbanes No-Transit Center debacle.

So will WMAA pay WMATA for the ongoing expenses?


The difference between the Silver Spring Transit Center and Silver line Phase II was structural deficiencies that would result in collapse under normal loading. The major issue here is premature deterioration because of moisture penetration.

In the case of the precast panels there is discussion of using an escrow to fund for the upkeep from deposits paid into by the contractor and or MWAA.

As to "periodic shutdown" That can be held to a minimum or be unnecessary by doing an after hours shoot an scoot from the Herndon maintenance track, yard leads and tail tracks. Only one of the stations is not directly adjacent to those locations.
 #1526068  by farecard
 
But won't much of the work, including removal & replacement, obstruct trackage?

My meta-point was WMATA ends up on the short end of the stick when someone else builds an inferior structure, and then unloads it onto them to maintain.
 #1526126  by Sand Box John
 
farecard
But won't much of the work, including removal & replacement, obstruct trackage?


It remains to be seen if that will need to be done prematurely.

My meta-point was WMATA ends up on the short end of the stick when someone else builds an inferior structure, and then unloads it onto them to maintain.

Better to go ahead and do workaronuds with what you have then delay, litigate and replace. Anyway you slice it there will still be litigation.
 #1528303  by mtuandrew
 
For Udvar-Hazy, there will likely be a shuttle from Dulles anyway (free or not, I don’t know) since the museum boasts its own “control tower” viewing platform and wants to attract layover passengers for whom a jaunt to the city is too far.
 #1530023  by blockski
 
perfbill wrote: Tue Sep 03, 2019 3:07 pm
RailVet wrote: Tue Sep 03, 2019 10:34 am Perfbill: I suspect the museum itself would not be in favor of a bus shuttle. If I recall correctly, the museum doesn't charge admission but it does charge for parking, and those arriving by bus wouldn't generate revenue for the museum.
They currently have shuttles from downtown to Udvar Hazy and back, and a page on the si.edu site that lists all of the shuttles from Fairfax, Wiehle-Reston, and L'Enfant to Udvar Hazy and back to downtown. So given this, I doubt there is much reticence. They still get money from iMax, vendors, and others. As for us, we park at the WaWa across 28 and walk in, but still spend the money. The Smithsonian probably profits more from inside vendors than from parking, but even at that, I know that charters have to pay to get their groups in, so buses and the dedicated section of the lot for them have been a staple there since it opened in 2003.

I personally would be a proponent of a monorail line running from Udvar Hazy to Dulles Town Center up 28 with perhaps 4 stops, and a branch to the airport with a connection at CIT stop. Small footprint, lower cost than metro, and another way to get from satellite park and rides to Metro stops, as well as the museum.

https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/museum ... -locations
There are no longer any shuttles between the Mall museum and the Udvar-Hazy center. Those were only in operation for the first few years.

Likewise, for a time, there was a shuttle from the Dulles terminal to the museum operated by the airport, but they ended that after a while as well. The main reason they charge for parking is because they didn't want the museum to be a de-facto long-term parking lot for airport travelers.

Once Metro opens, I hope the museum will consider a shuttle bus operation between the terminal/Metro and the museum.
 #1530030  by mtuandrew
 
blockski, welcome!

In re: access to NASM Udvar-Hazy Campus, Fairfax Connector 983 offers regular bus service between Wiehle-Reston East, Reston Town Center, Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride, Dulles Airport, and the Udvar-Hazy Center every twenty minutes from 9:30am to 7pm, seven days a week. This option is advertised on the walls at the museum on the National Mall as well as on the website - cost is $2, payable in cash or SmartTrip card.
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