Metro to reopen Thursday, after 29-hour closure

D.C.’s Metrorail, the transit lifeline to the Capitol for the district’s nearly 700,000 commuters, is poised to reopen Thursday at 5 a.m., following a safety inspection of nearly 600 cables that shut the system down for 29 hours. 

{mosads}The inspection found 26 defects, 18 of which had been repaired as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld announced at a Wednesday evening press conference. Those defects ranged from frayed wires to water and debris infiltration. 

“I know today has presented hardship to the region,” he said. “The shutdown today was necessary.” 

The service disruption came after a fire at the McPherson Square station Monday. Last year, one person died and dozens were sickened after a fire in a tunnel near the L’Enfant Plaza station stopped trains that then filled with smoke.