Subway Maintenance

PG&E and the SFMTA are planning maintenance work along the J Church between Geneva and San Jose avenues to Church and 16 and Duboce streets. To accommodate this, both the J Church and F Market & Wharves will be motorized Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 2 a.m. through Monday, August 25, 2025.

Project Introduction

Fix-It! Week is one way we keep Muni operations and infrastructure in a state of good repair. These maintenance projects make subway operations safer and more reliable. They also help prevent future breakdowns.

On most nights, our maintenance crews have only a few hours to get work done. Some critical tasks can’t be finished during those short windows. For these, we dedicate an entire week, or weekend, to maintain our infrastructure.

This extra time allows our teams to perform inspections and make upgrades. We also use these to replace critical systems that keep the network in a state of good repair. They ensure safe, reliable transit for the community. Muni operations and transportation infrastructure are vital to San Francisco. They support economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and cultural diversity. Keeping it in a state of good repair helps the city thrive.

During Fix-It! Week, SFMTA’s maintenance teams work both above and below ground.

Our Teams at Work:

Maintenance Engineering staff inspect tunnel infrastructure. They assess efficiency and collect data to plan future improvements.
Overhead Lines crews inspect and replace overhead electrical lines.
Stationary Engineers from various specialties focus on safety enhancements.
Track Maintenance teams repair and replace worn rails and other track components. They have outlived their useful life.
Motive Power crews inspect and replace emergency battery systems. They coordinate with electrical clearance holders. And they restore systems in time for rail service to resume.
Signal teams maintain and upgrade train control systems.
Underground and Paint Shop staff contribute to overall system maintenance.
Buildings and Grounds teams remove debris to keep stations clean and safe.

The coordinated efforts of all these teams make Fix-It! Week a success. Together, they uphold safety standards and address critical repairs. This keeps San Francisco’s rail infrastructure operating safely and reliably.

Neighborhoods

Castro / Upper Market

Glen Park

Potrero Hill

Bayview / Hunters Point

South of Market (SoMa)

Visitacion Valley

Parkside

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we improve the safety, reliability and on-time performance of the Muni Metro system.

Project video(s)

What Happened During Fix It Week in July?

MOW Signal Group at Castro Station upgrading a legacy control system during Fix It Week

Maintenance of Way Signal technicians upgrade a legacy control system at Castro Station on Thursday night, April 14, 2022, the first day of Fix It Week.

MOW workers cleaning the eastbound platform at West Portal Station during Fix It Week

Maintenance of Way workers clean the eastbound platform at West Portal Station on Thursday night, April 14, 2022, the first day of Fix It week.

Custodians from Buildings and Grounds make the floor shine at Castro Station

Custodians from Buildings and Grounds get the opportunity to make the floor shine at Castro Station with the extended maintenance windows. With a deep clean and wax and the station is looking great.

SFMTA Buildings and Grounds Custodians give the elevators at Forest Hill a deep clean during the early shutdown hours.

SFMTA Building and Grounds teams give Forest Hill Station a deep Clean during April 2022 Fix It week.

MOW crews install new wires while custodians complete a deep clean of the Mezzanine at Castro Station

SFMTA Overhead Lines crews install new wires while buildings and grounds custodians complete a deep clean of the Mezzanine at Castro Station.

SFMTA Line workers pull new overhead cables at Castro Station during Fix It Week.

Safety First. MOW workers install a new custom sump cover during Fix It Week. These pumping systems help keep underground stations dry during the rain. Having the extended maintenance hours allows us to bring materials and personnel into rooms that are only accessible through the trackway.

SFMTA Stationary Engineers keep our fire life safety systems ready to go

SFMTA has over five miles of tunnel, and one of the jobs of Maintenance of Way is keeping the tunnel fire extinguishers current. SFMTA Stationary Engineers were able to use the extra hours to keep our fire life safety systems ready to go.

Mechanical Systems install a new fan and filter for a Traction Power room

Mechanical Systems from SFMTA Maintenance of Way install a new fan and filter for a Traction Power room during Fix It Week. Keeping our electronics clean and at the right temperature goes a long way to extend the useful life of the equipment.

MOW Motive Power staff rack out a breaker to turn off the overhead power in the subway during the maintenance window. The workers wear special suits to protect them from Arc Flash Incidents.

These are 60 new batteries for the Church Street Substation.

MOW staff remove and replace 60 batteries in the Church Substation

MOW staff from Motive Power and Track remove and replace 60 batteries in the Church Substation through the Subway.

MOW staff brings in new substation electrical equipment through this narrow hatch

This is the access hatch to the Church Street Substation from the Subway. MOW staff from Motive Power and Track brought in new substation electrical equipment, along with 60 new batteries, and removed 60 old batteries, all through this narrow hatch.

MOW employees clean out a mechanical room at Montgomery Station

SFMTA Maintenance of Way employees clean out a mechanical room at Montgomery Station during the Early Shutdown Hours.

Our Maintenance crews remove debris from ventilation shafts, and mechanical and electrical rooms

Our Mechanical Systems and Track Maintenance crews take advantage of the extended work windows to remove debris from ventilation shafts, and mechanical and electrical rooms. Clean work areas keep our workers safe and efficient and extend the life of our equipment.

Track Maintenance and Mechanic Systems personnel complete a deep cleaning

Track Maintenance and Mechanic Systems personnel use the early shutdowns from fix-it week to complete a deep cleaning.

MOW Mechanical Systems staff perform maintenance tasks at West Portal Station.

SFMTA Track Maintenance installs new rails at the Embarcadero Crossover using the extended maintenance hours of Fix It Week.

Members of the SFMTA Overhead Lines and Underground department perform preventative maintenance on a utility cable box at the Duboce Portal.

SFMTA plumbers make sure storm drains are clear and ready for the rainy season

SFMTA plumbers use the extra shutdown hours to make sure storm drains are clear and ready for the rainy season. (August 2022)

Signal Maintenance staff inspect and repair induction loop cables, part of the Automatic Train Control System. This system allows trains to operate significantly faster than is possible using line of sight.

Specialized electronic maintenance technicians work hand-in-hand with track maintenance

The SFMTA rails not only carry the weight of trains but also carry electrical signals and return currents. Specialized electronic maintenance technicians work hand-in-hand with track maintenance and traction power teams to keep it all running smoothly.

MOW personnel install a new switch machine to make trains safer, faster, and more reliable.

The 6th and King crossover is critical for turning back the N-Judah and staging trains to move crowds leaving Giants games. MOW personnel install a new switch machine in another step towards safer, faster and more reliable transit. The work was done during the day, but the testing needed to happen during the shutdown window.

Subway engineers from Mechanical Systems restore and replace lighting systems throughout the tunnel, making stations safer for employees and the public.

Bust abatement makes cleaner rides and improves the reliability of electronics

Dust abatement not only makes for cleaner rides but also improves the reliability of electronics and the effectiveness of visual inspections.

Signal maintenance personnel work towards demolishing legacy systems to improve performance and make way for additional planned improvements.

The SFMTA Paint Shop applies fresh coat of paint for graffiti abatement

Taking advantage of the extended maintenance hours, the SFMTA Paint Shop applies fresh coat of paint at numerous points throughout the tunnel for graffiti abatement and station enhancement.

Dan Alger from mechanical system group replaces worn and broken floor tiles improve safety and station appearance.

Subway engineers from Maintenance of Way install new floor grates, allowing SFMTA employees to access critical equipment and perform inspections faster and safer.