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CriticalStrawberry t1_jcqby1d wrote

Reply to comment by LoganSquire in METRO should make an exception and run on regular weekday hours during marathons. by Knock_turnal

With 1 hr frequency? Sure you can. Maintenance is done on live tracks all the time. Maintainers call themselves train dodgers for a reason.

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Cythrosi t1_jcrv11x wrote

Metro has pretty consistently shown they can barely manage with the hours they have for maintenance, and a large part of what got them into a major hole in terms of maintenance in the 2000-2010s era was that the system prioritized more service at the cost of hours to get things done.

There are many maintenance activities that can move at much greater speeds when you can have both tracks down, and it's safer for the workers too. I'd certainly love 24/7 service, but Metro would need a fundamental restructuring of how it operates and how it does maintenance to even make it a remote possibility. The system wasn't built with 24/7 operation in mind.

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DCGinkgo t1_jcsb450 wrote

Exactly. To do real maintenance means a chunk of hours with no trains. DC is not NYC . There is no need for 24/7 subway service. Would there even be bus routes that would support 24/7 demand, have a significant ridership of third shift workers?

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Cythrosi t1_jcsdopk wrote

DC is moving to having some 24/7 bus routes, along with free fares for trips within the District. But those have flexibility in the routes for maintenance on the road, while the rails are harder to do that with.

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Macrophage87 t1_jcta4pd wrote

If we can have quality overnight transit, we might actually get some quality nightlife.

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