Metro above ground closed for 7th day in a row!

Since last Friday, Metro service has been shut down to above ground stations. Georgetown has been closed, Chase's work has been running only absolutely necessary services. The city is basically crippled. We think we're getting the last of the snow today, but who knows...

Chase and I are currently snowed in at a friend's house, having a grand old time as the blizzard conditions continue tonight. The below was posted on the DC Metro's website. I thought it as interesting to read how they work to clear things:

"The Metrorail system can operate well in snowfall of less than eight inches, however once the snow accumulation tops eight inches, it covers the electrified third rail, which is critical to providing power to move the trains. Additionally, heavy snowfall often damages electronic components located in the undercarriage of rail cars. For that reason, Metro is storing almost half of its rail fleet underground to help protect the rail cars from the damage caused by ice and snow.

"The biggest challenges facing Metrorail at above-ground stations is heavy snowfall, snow drifts that cover tracks after they are cleared, and ice along the electrified third rail. That ice will prevent the transfer of electricity from the tracks to the train.

"There is a multi-stepped approach to clearing tracks of ice and snow. A heavy-duty diesel powered train called a prime mover clears the majority of snow and ice from the tracks. Then those trains move to the rail yards, where more miles of track are used to store hundreds of rail cars. Once the prime movers are off of the rails, trains equipped with de-icing equipment are run on the tracks to keep them clear of snow and ice build-up. These trains are used to apply a de-icing agent and are referred to as rail “polishers” because they go back and forth keeping the third rail ice-free. The next step to prepare tracks for service is to clear the snow and ice from interlocking or switches, which allows trains to switch tracks, reverse direction or turn around. If an interlocking is not clear of snow or ice, there is no way to maneuver around a train that becomes disabled."