The 29-hour shutdown was ordered to allow workers to inspect 600 third-rail power cables throughout the Metro system. An electrical fire on the tracks Monday, similar to one that killed a passenger last year, raised grave safety concerns, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said.

The inspections revealed 26 areas of concern requiring replacement or repair, Wiedefeld said, including three he called "show-stoppers" places where it wasn't safe to run trains. All the urgent repairs were completed during the closure, according to Metro. Wiedefeld said the next step was to understand why the problems occurred.
Many riders shrugged off the closure, saying it's what they've come to expect.

One popular Twitter feed about the system, @unsuckdcmetro, was running a poll on whether the shutdown would solve "Metro's flaming cables problem." Thousands voted, with more than three-quarters saying no.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told a Senate Committee on Wednesday that he has directed the Federal Transit Administration to identify any federal grants to the Washington Metro with unspent money and redirect that money to improve safety.

In addition to the electric cables, Foxx said he is concerned about red-light running, the use of emergency brakes and track integrity. "The culture down there has to change and we can't enable these safety failures any longer," he said