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The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has overhauled its capital improvement systems, management and implementation schedule for 140 projects designed to improve the safety and reliability of the agency's aging infrastructure.

WMATA is investing $5 billion over six years in safety and repair needs. The changed schedule accelerates trackwork to an around-the-clock schedule, but will require service shutdowns during some weekends in 2011. During those weekends, the work will require single-tracking and/or station closings.

The fiscal-year 2012 annual work program includes rehabilitation of infrastructure and modernization of rolling stock. The program budgets about $851 million to:

• initiate the contract to build new rail cars to replace 1000-series cars;
• install 30 turnouts, 15,000 direct fixation fasteners and 8,000 ties;
• retrofit 2,700 feet of track floating slabs;
• rehab 5,000 feet of track pads and shock absorbers, five miles of third rail, 10 miles of running rail and 12 Metrorail stations;
• install 50,000 track fasteners and anchor bolts; and
• replace track circuits

In a Jan. 13 report to WMATA board's finance committee, consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff reported that the agency spent nearly half of the $158 million forecasted for the first quarter through Sept. 30, 2010. Through November, the agency has obligated $546 million, or 65 percent, of its FY2012 capital budget.