NO Metrorail service Jan. 23-24 (Jonas Snowmaggedon)

[dcmike]

The Metro-owned substations are used to convert the utility power from distribution level AC voltage to the 750VDC traction power consumed by the rail cars. Metro doesn't generate their own power; the substations are fed by the local commercial utilities (PEPCO in DC/MD and Dominion in VA). If the utility suffers a service disruption then Metro does too. There is some redundancy built in but it's not entirely resilient.

This was probably the right move. PEPCO were warning their customers to expect outages. I received a robocall from them concerning my home account imploring me to be prepared for extended power loss events.

[mmi16]

The Metro-owned substations are used to convert the utility power from distribution level AC voltage to the 750VDC traction power consumed by the rail cars. Metro doesn't generate their own power; the substations are fed by the local commercial utilities (PEPCO in DC/MD and Dominion in VA). If the utility suffers a service disruption then Metro does too. There is some redundancy built in but it's not entirely resilient.

This was probably the right move. PEPCO were warning their customers to expect outages. I received a robocall from them concerning my home account imploring me to be prepared for extended power loss events.

Storm was supposed to have much higher winds than it ended up having. The higher winds could easily have causes some major power disruptions all over the DC and Mid-Atlantic area. Trains stalled in the relative middle of nowhere with limited if any abilities to 'rescue' them is not a good PR move.

[dcmike]

Exactly. In fact, trains stalled anywhere in this storm would have been a disaster. Imagine how long it would take to 1. get emergency vehicles staged, 2. locate the tunnel escape hatches under all this snow, 3. clear away the snow to make them accessible, etc.

[JackRussell]

Metro's GM told riders that the system would be shut down this weekend due, in part, to fear that a power failure during the blizzard would strand riders. This doesn't ring true to me.

Isn't power delivered to Metro's third rail from numerous power substations throughout the system, each serving a limited segment of third rail?

If so then it seems to me that, though a local power outage could knock out power to several miles of third rail, it would take an area-wide blackout to kill power to the full Metro system.

Is that correct or was fear of a power failure a legitimate reason to close the full system?

A power outage could strand trains in the middle of the system somewhere, which could require the assistance of emergency responders to help evacuate the passengers. As it turns out, the power outages in the area were far less of a problem than some had feared (the winds were a lot less than had been predicted, which undoubtedly helped).

[wrivlin]

Metro seems to be running some above-ground sections now too. OR from Ballston to New Carrollton, GR from Fort Totten to Branch Ave., and RD from Medical Center to Glenmont.

[srepetsk]

Metro seems to be running some above-ground sections now too. OR from Ballston to New Carrollton, GR from Fort Totten to Branch Ave., and RD from Medical Center to Glenmont.

The rest are still being dug out.

Silver line to Wiehle (lol, there's no way this was going to be open on Monday, but the tracks "look pretty good" up to Greensboro);
Orange to Vienna (waist to neck-high snow drifts were reported as late as last night in parts);
Yellow/Blue to Franconia and Huntington (at least one bobbing circuit possibly b/c of a plow hitting a bond, also lots of open track to plow in general);
Blue to Largo (seems to be ok, just polishing rail & verifying 3rd rail);
Green to Greenbelt (still some 3rd rail coverage issues).

[JDC]

Metro's currently operational routes: http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_ ... m?AID=5401. Blue and Yellow are now running, though both to Huntington.

[JDC]

Metro's currently operational routes: http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_ ... m?AID=5401. Blue and Yellow are now running, though both to Huntington.

And here is Tuesday's map - basically, no silver line service. http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_ ... m?AID=5410

[JackRussell]

And here is Tuesday's map - basically, no silver line service. http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_ ... m?AID=5410

That's a huge step forward, but a bummer if you are on the Silver line. While I was out and about today, I did see the plow train in the Greensboro station, but that's stil quite a ways from Wiehle.

The thing I don't get about the plow train is what happens to the snow? Where the heck does it all go? Just pushing it forward isn't going to cut it - do they scoop it up and melt it, or something else?

[srepetsk]

And here is Tuesday's map - basically, no silver line service. http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_ ... m?AID=5410

That's a huge step forward, but a bummer if you are on the Silver line. While I was out and about today, I did see the plow train in the Greensboro station, but that's stil quite a ways from Wiehle.

The thing I don't get about the plow train is what happens to the snow? Where the heck does it all go? Just pushing it forward isn't going to cut it - do they scoop it up and melt it, or something else?

Typically the blade of the plow is slanted, so they push it to one of the two sides of the track. And hopefully not the side that the 3rd rail is on.

They've been working on the N line the entire weekend; I wouldn't be too surprised if everything but Wiehle was open at some point tomorrow, if not the entire thing.

[srepetsk]

Ouch - apparently due to 3rd rail damage there's no service from East Falls Church out to Vienna (https://twitter.com/Metrorailinfo/statu ... 8278104064" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Makes me wonder if there's damage on one or both tracks, and how the heck this effects getting equipment into and out of WFC Yard.