Red Line: Weekend Track Work Still on Spring Break

Metro takes a break from its rigorous weekend track work schedule during the cherry blossom season, according to a Metro news statement.

Metro's Red Line ends at Shady Grove near Rockville and Gaithersburg.

This year, the break occurs on four consecutive weekends. The remaining weekends are: March 30 to 31, April 6 to 7 and April 13 to 14.

Metro said the only planned weekend work would happen late Sunday evenings, when ridership wes light.

"While the work we do almost every weekend is necessary to get the system back to a steady state of safety and reliability, we are in a position where we can take a short break to let everyone enjoy the season," Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles said in the statement.

According to Metro, ridership increases by an average of more than 15 percent during cherry blossom season and weekend ridership can double to near-weekday levels if the weather is nice.

Metro plans to tamp 32 miles of track, weld 1,000 rail joints for a smoother ride, replace 12,000 wooden cross-ties and more than 20,000 rail fasteners and repair more than 2,000 tunnel leaks.

Read more about the track work break on Metro's website.