The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced Monday that the Potomac Yard Metro station would not open as planned in the spring of 2022.
A five-month delay in opening the new station is the result of problems with the design of the Automatic Train Control (ATC) systems. Those systems ensure safe operation of trains and help prevent collisions by maintaining a safe distance between trains.
"Metro engineers determined that the original design of the Automatic Train Control (ATC) systems, which was based upon specifications written by WMATA, did not meet all of the important safety requirements to ensure the safe operation of trains," WMATA officials announced in a news release.
"The need to redesign the ATC system is the result of project management decisions for which WMATA is accountable. WMATA is working with the contractor to reduce delays in the project schedule and ensure system safety. Construction of the station will continue largely on schedule, but there are some track-related construction elements that are dependent upon the completion of the ATC design."
The station was supposed to open in April 2022 but now will not open until the fall.
In response to the announcement, Mayor Justin Wilson released the following statement:
“Due to a contract language decision related to Automatic Train Control specifications, Metro and its contractor have indicated to the City that a delay in the station opening until the Fall will likely occur. While we appreciate Metro’s acceptance of accountability and recent diligence in addressing this issue, the contract language mistake is inexcusable. With the large investment of $370 million being made by the City and other governmental and private partners to fund the station construction, internal systems should have caught the error. The City intends to have its own expert construction consultant review the schedule to determine if there is a way to safely open this station earlier than September of 2022.”
The Potomac Yard Station will be between the existing Braddock Road and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stations on Metro's Blue and Yellow lines.
