WASHINGTON 鈥� In a system in need of large-scale work, Metro is set to complete聽one repair ahead of schedule, General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said.
On Tuesday, following the , Wiedefeld promised that missing seals would be installed on power connectors throughout Metro鈥檚 tunnel system more than a year earlier than Metro鈥檚 original completion date of September 2017.
鈥淲e鈥檙e moving to have that done by the end of the summer this year. And I鈥檓 having a particular focus on the tunnels because, obviously, if there鈥檚 smoke in the tunnels, it鈥檚 different than if it鈥檚 above ground. And I鈥檓 shooting to get that done (in tunnels) by June of this year,鈥� he said.
The seals help keep out water and debris that can degrade the power cables and insulators, increasing the risk of smoke in the tunnels.
Rider Carol Glover died from smoke inhalation after her train became stranded in a smoke-filled tunnel near the L’Enfant Plaza Station in January 2015.
Water getting into the tunnel was also a key issue in the L’Enfant Plaza smoke incident, and Wiedefeld said the track work plan he is will address some of the factors involved.
鈥淥ne of the things we have to do is we have to get the drainage working … you鈥檙e underground, you鈥檙e going to have moisture. But you have to maintain it to maintain the system,鈥� he said.
The seal repair is just one of the problems Metro needs to address. The repair plan is expected to call for weeks of single tracking and shutdowns of some stations. The plan is intended to accelerate the pace of repairs and to get Metrorail back to the point where constant, large-scale maintenance is no longer needed.
Last week, a series of smoke incidents in the deep tunnels of the Red Line around Bethesda prompted a to clean up water and grime in the tunnels and make other repairs.
Wiedefeld has put off any plans to install better waterproofing in the perennially troubled stretch.
