Metro Orders Halt To Test Trains On Silver Line Expansion: Report

Concerns about track quality are prompting Metro officials to stop test trains from running on the Silver Line rail extension out to Reston, Herndon, and beyond, according to a report.

The Washington Post reports that Metro officials want to do their own inspections before they allow the builder of the tracks to continue running test trains.

The contractor, Capital Rail Constructors (CRC), told the Post that it had not been told to stop trains, although the officials explained that it was because no test runs were planned.

The $5.8 billion project would extend the Silver Line to Reston Town Center, Herndon, Dulles International Airport, and Loudoun County. However, the project has been beset by problems, raising doubts that it will open on time next year.

Earlier this month, the Washington Business Journal reported that several critical fixes and repairs need to be made in order for the Ashburn station to open next summer, including issues with track cross-levels and gravel around the tracks.

Metro hopes to open the station by July 2020, but Metro board member Michael Goldman called the list of things that need to be fixed a "dark and foreboding cloud" over that planned opening, WBJ reported.

NBC Washington's Adam Tuss reported earlier this month that the sealant to coat concrete panels at the new Silver Line stations failed in recent tests, meaning the sealant was not always effective.

BREAKING - more bad news for Metro’s Silver Line Phase 2 - News4 has learned that the sealant to coat troubled concrete panels FAILED some recent tests - meaning the sealant as applied was not effective in all cases. @nbcwashington #wmata pic.twitter.com/80V2A6tpwW
— Adam Tuss (@AdamTuss) September 6, 2019

Phase 1 ended up going $220 million over budget, but officials thought the second phase of the project would go smoother thanks to lessons learned from Phase 1 and not nearly as many obstacles, like boring a tunnel in the middle of Tysons, the Post wrote in an earlier report.

However, problems continue to crop up with the project, like cracks in concrete, bad rail ties, and a platform that had to be redone. In one case, a subcontractor was criminally charged.

WTOP reported last month that the contractor responsible for building a new rail yard near Dulles Airport has seen their schedule slip 67 days over the past month, meaning substantial completion of the Silver Line Phase 2 won't happen until late July 2020.

The rail yard and mainline tracks both must be complete for Metro to accept the rail project, which means the soonest the Silver Line Phase 2 Metro stations could open for business would be September or October 2020 if nothing changes.