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The Light Rail will resume service Saturday with free rides over the holidays, the Maryland Transit Administration announced Friday afternoon. Friday marked two weeks since the MTA suspended Light Rail service after an explosion in October led to the discovery that some of the trains may have punctured electrical conduits and issues with the inter-car connector cables.As of Thursday, mechanics had finished work on 18 cars so far, officials said. The MTA confirmed there will be a minimum of 14 cars available for service Saturday.”MTA has been working hand and hand with our contractor, Alstom, to quickly and thoroughly inspect our entire Light Rail fleet and make necessary repairs,” MTA Administrator Holly Arnold said.”As cars are released from safety review, they will immediately be operational. Service will resume Saturday at 4:58 a.m. We will be operating our normal Saturday schedule,” an MTA official said.Shuttle bus service that had bridged the Light Rail stops since the service suspension will be discontinued, and, as a courtesy to riders, Light Rail service will be free until Jan. 2, 2024, the MTA said.”Hats off because, I mean, it’s time-consuming with the shuttles, but they were getting the job done,” said Richard Garrison, an MTA patron.”I think they did a good job with the shuttle, but they probably need more people to work,” said Karen Moore, an MTA patron.The MTA said it has applied for $225 million in federal grant opportunities to support further investment in the Light Rail system that officials said would directly support the agency’s push to bring in an entirely new fleet of modern Light Rail vehicles.”We just have to do better because people (have to) make that money, they (have to) live, they (have to) survive. They (have to) do what they got to do, and how are they going to do that if (there’s) no Light Rail?” said Shalyha Jackson, an MTA patron.In a statement released Friday afternoon by the MTA, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said: “I thank our dedicated Maryland Transit Administration employees and our contractor’s workforce for all they’ve done to advance these reviews while maintaining safety as our highest priority. Above all, I thank the thousands of riders who rely on our services every day. I know this temporary suspension of service has been an inconvenience for many of our customers, and I greatly appreciate their understanding.”Arnold further said in the statement: “We’re thrilled to welcome our valued riders back aboard light rail. Safety will always be our top priority, and I thank our riders for their patience as we completed necessary inspections and repairs.”Announcement comes day after MTA said Light Rail would return ‘soon’On Thursday, MTA officials told 11 News that Light Rail service would be restored “soon,” but hesitated to provide a ballpark estimate.MTA officials said crews are making repairs and that, as of Saturday, they had inspected 41 vehicles for high-voltage conduit damage, 29 of which needed repairs.”We are aiming for as quickly as we can. I can’t give you a date today, but we do recognize the impact on this,” Arnold told 11 News on Thursday.Officials said several safety inspectors must still sign off on the cars before they return, and that takes time.”I don’t know what’s going to pop up in the documentation that our safety team or our state safety oversight team need clarification on,” Arnold said.Transit employee union expresses concernsAmalgamated Transit Union Local 1300, which represents Light Rail operators and bus drivers, said members have been kept in the dark.”It’s disturbing. We should have been kept in the loop. I am upset with them because they did not make us aware of what’s going on until after the fact,” union president Michael McMillan told 11 News on Thursday. “They are showing up for work and actually, they have nothing to do at this time.”MTA has been providing free shuttle bus service at every stop, but that is becoming a concern for the union.”These members are being thrown right out there on the front lines with angry customers having to deal with the frustration of not being able to use Light Rail as a form of transportation. The first ones they are seeing are our operators,” McMillan said.You can track the progress of repairs on each train car on the MTA’s website.
The Light Rail will resume service Saturday with free rides over the holidays, the Maryland Transit Administration announced Friday afternoon.
Friday marked two weeks since the MTA suspended Light Rail service after an explosion in October led to the discovery that some of the trains may have punctured electrical conduits and issues with the inter-car connector cables.
As of Thursday, mechanics had finished work on 18 cars so far, officials said. The MTA confirmed there will be a minimum of 14 cars available for service Saturday.
“MTA has been working hand and hand with our contractor, Alstom, to quickly and thoroughly inspect our entire Light Rail fleet and make necessary repairs,” MTA Administrator Holly Arnold said.
“As cars are released from safety review, they will immediately be operational. Service will resume Saturday at 4:58 a.m. We will be operating our normal Saturday schedule,” an MTA official said.
Shuttle bus service that had bridged the Light Rail stops since the service suspension will be discontinued, and, as a courtesy to riders, Light Rail service will be free until Jan. 2, 2024, the MTA said.
“Hats off because, I mean, it’s time-consuming with the shuttles, but they were getting the job done,” said Richard Garrison, an MTA patron.
“I think they did a good job with the shuttle, but they probably need more people to work,” said Karen Moore, an MTA patron.
The MTA said it has applied for $225 million in federal grant opportunities to support further investment in the Light Rail system that officials said would directly support the agency’s push to bring in an entirely new fleet of modern Light Rail vehicles.
“We just have to do better because people (have to) make that money, they (have to) live, they (have to) survive. They (have to) do what they got to do, and how are they going to do that if (there’s) no Light Rail?” said Shalyha Jackson, an MTA patron.
In a statement released Friday afternoon by the MTA, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said: “I thank our dedicated Maryland Transit Administration employees and our contractor’s workforce for all they’ve done to advance these reviews while maintaining safety as our highest priority. Above all, I thank the thousands of riders who rely on our services every day. I know this temporary suspension of service has been an inconvenience for many of our customers, and I greatly appreciate their understanding.”
Arnold further said in the statement: “We’re thrilled to welcome our valued riders back aboard light rail. Safety will always be our top priority, and I thank our riders for their patience as we completed necessary inspections and repairs.”
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Announcement comes day after MTA said Light Rail would return ‘soon’
On Thursday, MTA officials told 11 News that Light Rail service would be restored “soon,” but hesitated to provide a ballpark estimate.
MTA officials said crews are making repairs and that, as of Saturday, they had inspected 41 vehicles for high-voltage conduit damage, 29 of which needed repairs.
“We are aiming for as quickly as we can. I can’t give you a date today, but we do recognize the impact on this,” Arnold told 11 News on Thursday.
Officials said several safety inspectors must still sign off on the cars before they return, and that takes time.
“I don’t know what’s going to pop up in the documentation that our safety team or our state safety oversight team need clarification on,” Arnold said.
Transit employee union expresses concerns
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300, which represents Light Rail operators and bus drivers, said members have been kept in the dark.
“It’s disturbing. We should have been kept in the loop. I am upset with them because they did not make us aware of what’s going on until after the fact,” union president Michael McMillan told 11 News on Thursday. “They are showing up for work and actually, they have nothing to do at this time.”
MTA has been providing free shuttle bus service at every stop, but that is becoming a concern for the union.
“These members are being thrown right out there on the front lines with angry customers having to deal with the frustration of not being able to use Light Rail as a form of transportation. The first ones they are seeing are our operators,” McMillan said.
You can track the progress of repairs on each train car on the MTA’s website.
