To borrow a line from one of R&B great- Frankie Beverly Maze’s greatest hits, the Baltimore Metro Subwaylink is “back in stride again.” Emergency repairs are complete and the subway system re-opened at 5 a.m. Friday.
MTA Administrator Kevin Quinn says the rail work that prompted the four week shut down was completed three days early. “ We took out the old rail, put in new rail and folks can expect a smoother—a little faster ride, “ said Quinn. As a thank you to riders for their patience, the MTA is allowing folks to ride for free Friday through Sunday. Additional track work is scheduled for this summer, but officials are vowing to keep service disruptions to a minimum. Quinn says The subways system is safe to ride.
“Safety will always be our first priority,” said Quinn. “The decision to reopen the Metro SubwayLink system came after a thorough inspection of our tracks to ensure their safety and reliability. We are pleased to restore service to our riders earlier than originally planned and appreciate their patience during this time.”
The reopening of the Metro SubwayLink system follows a thorough inspection of the rail work by MDOT MTA inspectors, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and State Safety Oversight (SSO) inspectors. Hands-on, physical track inspections were complemented by geometry car testing, an automated testing vehicle that provides an additional assessment of track conditions.
MDOT MTA is still scheduled to complete additional rail work in Summer 2018. The agency will make every effort to mitigate disruption for our riders of any further work required.