WASHINGTON, DC — The cherry blossom peak is likely to arrive this week in Washington, D.C., as spring officially begins. Metro will boost its train service just in time for the popular season for visitors wanting an up-close look at the Tidal Basin’s cherry blossoms.
The National Park Service expects peak bloom “during the early side” of March 22-25 or a few days prior. As of Sunday, cherry blossoms were at the fifth of six stages to peak bloom.
On Monday, Red Line trains increased to every 8 minutes during peak times and every 8 to 10 minutes during off-peak times. On March 25, Red Line service will run every 8 minutes through 9:30 p.m. daily.
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Orange, Silver and Blue Line trains are running every 12 minutes during peak times and every 15 minutes during off-peak times. Green Line trains run every 8 minutes during peak and off-peak times.
“As we add trains and improve service, more and more people are choosing Metrorail,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke in a statement. “Our teams are working hard every day to get more 7000-series trains in service and hire more people so we can make #YourMetro even better.”
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Yellow Line service is not running due to the Yellow Line bridge and tunnel work between the L’Enfant Plaza and Pentagon stations through May 2023. Yellow Line service is replaced by supplemental Blue Line service that serves the Huntington and Eisenhower Avenue stations.
Train service had been improved in February during certain peak weekend times. Metro expects to make additional frequency improvements as staffing and the availability of 7000-series railcars increases. May is also the expected opening date for the Potomac Yard Metro station on the Blue and Yellow Lines in Alexandria.
The 7000-series railcars were sidelined after a Blue Line train derailed between the Rosslyn and Arlington National Cemetery stations on Oct. 12, 2021 and a subsequent investigation revealed problems with the wheel axle assembly of Metro’s 7000 series railcars. Metro has been working with the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, which must approve the return of 7000-series railcars.
Last week, Metro had seen its highest ridership since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. On Wednesday, there were more than 337,000 paid trips, driven by returning commuters, cherry blossom season, tourism, sporting events and other entertainment, according to Metro. Thursday was the second-highest day since the pandemic started with over 335,000 trips.
Additional trains will be added during the National Cherry Blossom Festival as needed to address crowding during the peak bloom.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off Saturday and runs through April 16. Check for live updates on the peak bloom on the National Park Service’s cherry blossom cam.
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