Why five Red Line Metro stations are closed and when they will reopen

A large chunk of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Red Line from Glenmont to Silver Spring will be closed for the summer as the agency looks to improve several aspects of the platforms and stations during Purple Line construction.

Four stations will be closed from June 1 to Aug. 31, and Takoma, along with the line to Fort Totten, will be closed from June 1 to 29.

“Starting in summer 2024, construction will begin on a new mezzanine at Silver Spring Station to provide access between Metro and the future Purple Line, which will be owned and operated by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA),” WMATA said in a release.

“This new mezzanine will connect the Metro station platform with the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center and the future Purple Line Station. It will also enhance connections for Metro, MARC Train, and bus customers,” it added.

To compensate for the closures, WMATA is offering a shuttle bus service as an alternative for those who would take trains at any stop from Glenmont to Silver Spring, extending to Takoma temporarily. Parking will also be free at the five stations for the summer. Metro customers could also take MARC rail at Silver Spring.

“The Purple Line work requires Silver Spring Station to close for several months. Knowing the closure would be necessary, Metro coordinated with MTA to schedule additional improvements and upgrades, including critical maintenance between Glenmont and Fort Totten,” it noted.

“The extended closure on the Red Line will allow us to complete this work in conjunction with the closure necessary for the Purple Line, rather than multiple disruptive closures of smaller segments on the Red Line,” it added.

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The improvements include smoother rides, new digital screens on platforms, other station improvements, brighter lighting, and fiber-optic cables to improve signal and communication systems.

WMATA’s Purple Line, which will connect the College Park and Silver Spring stations and run through Montgomery County, isn’t expected to be finished until 2027. The project has been continually delayed after being approved in 2015 and has run millions of dollars over the budget.