WASHINGTON 鈥� Plans to and address the are set to come before committees of the Metro board of directors this week.
A聽proposal to permanently close the rail system at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 10 p.m. on Sunday, is on the Customer Service, Operations and Security Committee鈥檚 meeting agenda for Thursday. The committee was asked to approve a public hearing on the proposal, which Metro鈥檚 full board could approve later this month.
the service scale-backs were needed because there are fewer riders during those hours, when trains are already running less frequently and when Metro regularly does track work. He said Metro needed more time on the tracks.
But last week, elected leaders from the broad nature of the proposed cuts. They said closures should only affect the parts of聽the system being worked on at a given time.
Transit ridership is dropping across the region at all times of day. In particular, Northern Virginia saw an overall drop of 6 percent compared to last fiscal year鈥檚 ridership figures. Metrorail ridership in Northern Virginia declined 6.7 percent.
The Metro board鈥檚 Finance Committee, which also meets Thursday, is expected to discuss the financial implications of a significant decline in ridership over the past several years.
Systemwide, the decline has been blamed on everything from , telework and gas prices to rider .
The full Metro board of directors is also expected to meet in closed session Thursday to discuss legal, budgetary and investigative matters.
of a Silver Line train outside the East Falls Church station in July. The derailment occurred as a train was moving from one track to another. About 75 passengers were on the train at the time.
There was nvolving a six-car train in the Alexandria Rail Yard last week.
The train was moving across a switch to a track where the train was set to be stored overnight when the derailment occurred. Metro Assistant General Manager Andy Off said two cars left the track entirely, but remained upright.
No one was hurt, but there was 鈥渕oderate damage鈥� to the two rail cars and the tracks.
