Train delays, station closures, single tracking, and elevator & escalator outages — updated every 30 seconds.
Understanding DC Metro service disruptions, alert types, and what they mean for your commute.
Single tracking means trains in both directions share one track instead of the usual two. This happens when one track is taken out of service for maintenance, emergency repairs, or safety inspections. During single tracking, trains on the affected segment alternate directions, which roughly doubles travel time through that section. Trains may also hold at stations longer and skip certain stations in some cases. WMATA typically announces single tracking in advance for planned maintenance, but it can also occur unexpectedly due to track defects, signal failures, or incidents.
The DC Metro system has over 600 escalators and 300 elevators — one of the largest collections of any transit system in the world. Many of these units were installed when the system opened between 1976 and 2001 and have experienced decades of heavy use, weather exposure (many are outdoor units), and the unique engineering challenge of moving riders through the deepest stations in North America. WMATA is in the process of a multi-year capital program to replace and modernize escalators and elevators across the system. Outages are reported in real time through the WMATA Incidents API, which is what powers the alerts on this page.
Metro delays can result from a range of issues. The most common causes include signal and switch malfunctions, track circuit failures, door problems on trains, medical emergencies involving passengers, unauthorized people on the tracks, and weather-related issues like heat restrictions (when tracks expand in extreme heat, trains must slow down) or flooding. Mechanical issues with the train fleet — especially brake and propulsion faults — can also cause system-wide delays if trains need to be taken out of service during rush hour, reducing available capacity on the line.
A station closure means trains pass through the station without stopping and the station entrances are closed to the public. Full station closures are relatively rare and are usually planned for major maintenance work — such as platform reconstruction, ceiling panel replacement, or lighting upgrades. WMATA also closes stations for emergency situations, security incidents, or during scheduled shutdowns on weekends. When a station is closed, WMATA typically provides free shuttle bus service between the closed station and the nearest open stations on the line.
This page polls both the WMATA Rail Incidents API and the Elevator/Escalator Incidents API every 30 seconds. Rail incident data (delays, advisories, closures, single tracking) comes from one endpoint, and elevator/escalator outage data comes from another. Both are fetched in parallel so the page always shows the latest system-wide picture. The status bar at the top shows per-line status (Normal, Advisory, or Delays) based on active rail incidents, and the ticker scrolls real-time line status across the top of the page.
An advisory is an informational notice from WMATA about a condition that may affect your trip — such as a planned service change, a station with a closed entrance, or an upcoming maintenance window. Advisories do not necessarily mean trains are running behind schedule. A delay means trains are actively running slower than normal or have stopped due to an incident. Delays are more urgent and usually involve a specific cause like a disabled train, track problem, or medical emergency. On this page, delays are sorted to the top and shown with a red severity indicator, while advisories appear lower with a blue indicator.
Several DC Metro stations are among the deepest in North America. Wheaton (station depth: 230 feet) and Forest Glen (196 feet) on the Red Line have some of the longest single-span escalators in the Western Hemisphere. Rosslyn, Dupont Circle, Woodley Park, Bethesda, and Tenleytown are also notably deep. Station depth directly impacts elevator and escalator reliability — deeper stations have longer units under greater mechanical stress, and when they go out of service, passengers must rely on the remaining units or take alternative routes. This is why elevator and escalator outages at deep stations can significantly affect accessibility.
NextMetro currently shows Metrorail alerts only — this includes all six rail lines (Red, Orange, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Silver) plus system-wide elevator and escalator outages at rail stations. Bus service alerts (Metrobus) are available through WMATA's separate Bus Incidents API but are not yet integrated into NextMetro. For Metrobus alerts, check WMATA's bus status page.