The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (AKA Metro) has in it's infinite wisdom decided to do track work this weekend. Riders on the Red, Yellow and Green lines will be delayed at least 30 minutes.
Metrorail customers traveling between the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center and U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metrorail stations should add at least 30 minutes to their travel times while Metro officials will install a new track switch to improve rail system safety and weld new rail outside the Mt. Vernon Sq/7th St-Convention Center Metrorail station. The track switch replacement is work that has been recommended by the NTSB. Trains will share one track between these locations the entire weekend from 10 p.m. Friday, October 1, to closing on Sunday, October 3.
Metrorail customers traveling between the Shady Grove and Twinbrook Metrorail stations should add at least 30 minutes to their travel time because Metro will repair the deteriorated platform at the Rockville Metrorail station to return it to a state of good repair. Trains will share one track between these locations the entire weekend from 8 p.m. Friday, October 1 to closing on Sunday, October 3.
Metrorail customers traveling between the New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U and Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metrorail stations should add at least 20 minutes to their travel time because Metro will conduct necessary maintenance on a portion of elevated tracks outside the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood Metrorail station. This work is necessary to maintain reliable service through that area of the track. Trains will share one track between these locations the entire weekend from 10 p.m. Friday, October 1, to closing on Sunday, October 3.
Some may see a conspiracy in the fact that they have decided to do this on a day when 100,000+ extra people of a liberal persuasion will be using the system, but having used the system for 30 years, I think it is just a prime example of Metro incompetence.
A copy of the Metrorail system can be found here.
The stations closest to the Mall (Smithsonian and Federal Triangle) are on the Blue and Orange lines, which are not affected by these repairs, but if you are coming in from the North you certainly will be subjected to delays.