Blue/Yellow Line what is the deal

[Antozilla]

OK, they close three stations for three or so days to do all kinds of track maintenance and still the trains are running at reduced speed.  What is up with that?

[Annex4421]

Man metrorail is getting crazy,as for the speed of the trains it all depends on who is operating the train

[Sand Box John]

Antozilla
OK, they close three stations for three or so days to do all kinds of track maintenance and still the trains are running at reduced speed.  What is up with that?

The railroad sill needs to be maintained. Worn out parts still need to be change out at the end of the useful life. Train running at reduced speed doesn't reduced the ware on the switches that need to be changed out periodically.

[Antozilla]

Thats not it John, they closed the stations to fix all that and even sent out a press release praising themselves for getting it all done, so why are the trains at reduced speed and why is the reason all the track work they did over the weekend?

[Sand Box John]

Antozilla
Thats not it John, they closed the stations to fix all that and even sent out a press release praising themselves for getting it all done, so why are the trains at reduced speed and why is the reason all the track work they did over the weekend?

You are trying to equate both issues. (reduced speed and track maintenance) Reduced speeds are related to the 06 29 2009 wreck. Infrastructure still need to be maintained. Though the Labor Day weekend shut down was one of the largest shut downs WMATA has done, it was not the first time WMATA isolated one part of a line from the rest of the railroad.

[Antozilla]

Then explain this.  Metro says they are linked.

(ID 59375) Disruption at Braddock Road in both directions. Trains are traveling at reduced speeds between Braddock Road and Pentagon stations as a result of this weekend's track maintenance. Expect delays in both directions.
http://www.wmata.com/opt_out.cfm

[Sand Box John]

Antozilla
Then explain this.  Metro says they are linked.

(ID 59375) Disruption at Braddock Road in both directions. Trains are traveling at reduced speeds between Braddock Road and Pentagon stations as a result of this weekend's track maintenance. Expect delays in both directions.

In order to replace ties and rail crews must remove the WeeZ-bonds and other related track circuit hardware. The same also applies when changing out multiple turnouts in the interlocking. It is likely they found some of the hardware that was disturbed to do the track work was not functioning the same way it did before the track work was done or they wanted to make absolutely sure it would function properly before releasing the area for normal speed operations.

The folks at WMATA are being observed through a magnifying glass right now. They want to make damm sure that everything that was disturbed to do the track work was put back properly and is functioning to designed specification.

[Antozilla]

That explains it.  Alas another worker struck by a train today at Braddock. 

[Tristan]

It seems like there is always a period of speed reductions after track work -- John hit the nail on the head:even those you've _done_the work, you still want to make sure that everything is functioning properly (that means? that everything holds up under revenue, standard operations) before releasing the area for full speed operation.