Metro cuts rush-hour rail service

Transit ridership is way down. [Keith Pham]

Metro has dropped rush hour service for Metrorail – its FY 2021 budget eliminated more frequent trains during peak hours – but has not dropped rush-hour fares. 

As of Feb. 15, trains are operating “at the same service frequencies through the evening rush hour,” Metro states. “The changes will improve service consistency throughout the day to better match customers’ travel patterns during the pandemic.”

Trains are running every 12 minutes on the Blue, Orange, Silver, Green, and Yellow lines and every six minutes on the Red Line

Rail ridership remains down nearly 90 percent from pre-pandemic levels.

Metrorail operating hours remain unchanged, opening at 5 a.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. on Sunday, and ending at 11 p.m. nightly. On weekends, trains will continue to operate at the same service levels.

Metro plans to expand service for bus customers beginning March 14. There will be more buses and more routes. More details will be announced later. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Metrobus has seen a larger percentage of riders return compared to rail. Weekday bus ridership is down only 55 percent from pre-pandemic levels and less on weekends.