DC subway shutdown ends, but systemic problems remain

DC subway shutdown ends, but systemic problems remain, Commuters in the nation's basic were able to acknowledgment to their approved routines Thursday morning afterwards an aberrant daylong abeyance of the Washington alms system.

Metro tweeted aboriginal Thursday morning that it has resumed account on all lines. Local television stations showed commuters walking into stations and cat-and-mouse on platforms.

But the problems that led to the cease will not be anchored so calmly and will abide to could cause headaches for riders, some of whom accept already alone the crumbling arrangement because of assurance and believability concerns.

The 29-hour shutdown, which concluded at 5 a.m. Thursday, was ordered to acquiesce workers to audit 600 third-rail ability cables throughout the Metro alteration system. An electrical blaze on the advance Monday, agnate to one that dead a commuter endure year, aloft grave assurance concerns, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said.

The inspections appear 26 areas of affair acute backup or repair, Wiedefeld said, including three he alleged "show-stoppers." Most of the issues were anchored during the closure, but Wiedefeld said the next footfall was to accept why the problems occurred.

Riders yield added than 700,000 trips on Metro trains every day because it's still a acceptable way to get city-limits from Maryland, Virginia and the city's alien neighborhoods. But the arrangement has become beneath reliable and ridership has declined.

Many riders shrugged off the closure, adage it's what they've appear to expect.

One accepted Twitter augment about the system, @unsuckdcmetro, was active a poll on whether the abeyance would break "Metro's ablaze cables problem." Thousands voted, with added than three-quarters adage no.

"Metro sucks," said Bob Jones, 26, of Arlington, Virginia, as he waited for a bus. The subways are "always slow, consistently crowded," he complained. Members of Congress apery the arena are aswell accepting fed up. Rep. Gerry Connolly, a arctic Virginia Democrat, said in a account that federal and bounded leaders accept to accomplish to accouterment the allotment and blank bare to advance Metro. But he aswell said some high-level managers charge to be fired.

"Those amenable for acceptance these issues to languish should footfall down or be removed," Connolly said.

Wiedefeld, who took over in November afterwards active the Baltimore-Washington airport, accustomed in a accessible letter this ages that the bureau accept to "improve assurance and security, bear added reliable service, and abide reforms to get our banking abode in order."

The arrangement has bankrupt for canicule for weather, but this was believed to be the aboriginal abeyance for automated reasons.

Delayed trains, bankrupt escalators and added annoyances accept become frequent, but the Metro has had baleful accidents as well, including a 2009 blow amid two trains that dead nine people. Endure year, a commuter died if adulterated electrical accessories abounding a alternation with smoke. Monday's blaze was "disturbingly similar," Wiedefeld said in a statement. No one was aching because it occurred afore the arrangement was open.

Michaun Jordan, 51, accepted Metro's caution.

"At aboriginal I was a bit disappointed. Then I anticipation about it — it's best to be safe," said Jordan, who took a $15 auto for allotment of her drive that is commonly a far cheaper abuse ride.

Leander Talley, 52, who lives in Dale City, Virginia, and works in Alexandria, wasn't afraid by the shutdown.

"I affectionate of ample it would appear because of all the problems they've been having, but not on such abbreviate notice," said Talley, who woke up an hour and a bisected aboriginal to get a arch alpha on a arduous commute, adage he had to "catch 5 buses."

Federal workers were encouraged to yield the day off or telecommute. District of Columbia accessible schools, which don't accept committed buses, said apathy and absences would be excused. Motorists slogged through a active morning blitz hour, and a city-limits official said added than 500 humans active up for a chargeless 24-hour bike-sharing membership.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told a Senate Committee on Wednesday that he has directed the Federal Alteration Administration to analyze any federal grants to the Washington Metro with unspent money and alter that money to advance safety.

In accession to the electric cables, Foxx said he is anxious about red-light running, the use of emergency brakes and clue integrity. "The ability down there has to change and we can't accredit these assurance failures any longer," he said.
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