The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on September 7 reopened Greenbelt, College Park, Prince George’s Plaza, and West Hyattsville stations, which had been closed since May.
The newly reopened stations are now operating with renovated outdoor platforms and additional safety features for Metro riders. During the regular service of these stations, some residual construction activities will continue, according to Metro.
The Green Line has returned to operating from Branch Avenue to Greenbelt. And the Yellow Line is now back to service from Huntington to Greenbelt.
“We’re excited to welcome customers back to safer and more convenient stations, all while offering more trains and buses, longer hours, and lower prices,” said Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld in a release. “Metro’s aggressive capital program is making the system safer and more reliable for the entire region, and we’re now just three stations away from completing our goal of rebuilding 20 outdoor stations in need of these critical repairs.”
Metro is also offering lower prices, as well as more buses and trains, and extended Metrorail hours on weekends, starting this week. For details on the new fares, click here.
The key changes implemented during the closure include new slip-resistant tiles, brighter energy-efficient LED lighting, and illuminated handrails. There are also new surveillance systems, stainless-steel platform shelters that have charging ports and digital maps, clearer speakers for announcements, and safety call buttons with direct contact to station managers and the operations control center.
In addition, WMATA installed more Passenger Information Displays (PIDS) along the platforms, with larger digital screens to improve visibility.
The reconstruction work on the Green and Yellow Line stations has been a part of Metro’s Platform Improvement Project. With Tuesday’s reopening, a total of 17 platforms out of 20 have been completed.
The last phase of the project will be finalized next year with the reconstruction of Cheverly, Landover, and New Carrollton stations.