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Franconia-Springfield (Washington Metro)
Encyclopedia
Franconia–Springfield is an island platform
ed Washington Metro
station
in Springfield
, Virginia
, United States
. The station was opened on June 29, 1997, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(WMATA). Providing service for the Blue
Line, it is the southwestern terminus of the Blue Line, and is located at the junction of Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Frontier Drive. The station serves a suburban area and is mostly used for commuters
, with 5,069 spaces in Metro's biggest parking garage. It is a major transit hub, providing not only Metro service, but also Virginia Railway Express
, Metrobus
, and local and regional bus service. It also served as an Amtrak station for the Northeast Regional line between 1997 and 2010. Amtrak's code for the station was "FRS."
. It was built in 1870 and torn down in 1952.
In 1981, WMATA held a series of public hearings to discuss issues related to the expansion of the then Yellow Line to Springfield by 1986, although the project was unfunded at that time. By 1987, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission
began to evaluate whether or not state funding would be necessary to complete the station as federal funding was not guaranteed at that time. By 1991, funding for the expansion was secured and plans for the station, parking garage and other commuter facilities were approved by the Metro board. Opened on June 29, 1997, its opening coincided with the completion of 3.3 miles (5.3 km) of rail west of the Van Dorn Street station. The final cost for both the station and rail expansion was $175 million.
In 2003, due to increases in ridership on both the Metro and VRE lines, WMATA opened an additional parking garage on the premises for park-and-ride users, offering an additional 1,000 parking spaces, and bringing the total to 5,100 spaces.
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
ed Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
station
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
in Springfield
Springfield, Virginia
Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs including North Springfield,...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The station was opened on June 29, 1997, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...
(WMATA). Providing service for the Blue
Blue Line (Washington Metro)
The Blue Line of the Washington Metro in the United States consists of 27 rapid transit stations from Franconia–Springfield to Largo Town Center. It has stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland...
Line, it is the southwestern terminus of the Blue Line, and is located at the junction of Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Frontier Drive. The station serves a suburban area and is mostly used for commuters
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
, with 5,069 spaces in Metro's biggest parking garage. It is a major transit hub, providing not only Metro service, but also Virginia Railway Express
Virginia Railway Express
The Virginia Railway Express is a regional/ commuter rail service that connects the Northern Virginia suburbs to Union Station in Washington, D.C., via two lines: the Fredericksburg Line from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the Manassas Line from Broad Run/Airport station in Bristow,...
, Metrobus
Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)
Metrobus is a bus service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . Its fleet consists of 1,480 buses covering an area of in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. There are over 300 bus routes serving 12,216 stops, including 2,398 bus shelters. In fiscal year 2009,...
, and local and regional bus service. It also served as an Amtrak station for the Northeast Regional line between 1997 and 2010. Amtrak's code for the station was "FRS."
History
Prior to construction by the WMATA, Franconia–Springfield station was the site of Franconia Station, a standard railroad station built by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac RailroadRichmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. It is now a portion of the CSX Transportation system....
. It was built in 1870 and torn down in 1952.
In 1981, WMATA held a series of public hearings to discuss issues related to the expansion of the then Yellow Line to Springfield by 1986, although the project was unfunded at that time. By 1987, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission
Northern Virginia Transportation Commission
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission is an independent agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia to promote and improve transportation. It covers the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax. NVTC manages the Northern Virginia...
began to evaluate whether or not state funding would be necessary to complete the station as federal funding was not guaranteed at that time. By 1991, funding for the expansion was secured and plans for the station, parking garage and other commuter facilities were approved by the Metro board. Opened on June 29, 1997, its opening coincided with the completion of 3.3 miles (5.3 km) of rail west of the Van Dorn Street station. The final cost for both the station and rail expansion was $175 million.
In 2003, due to increases in ridership on both the Metro and VRE lines, WMATA opened an additional parking garage on the premises for park-and-ride users, offering an additional 1,000 parking spaces, and bringing the total to 5,100 spaces.
Usage
Franconia–Springfield station is currently the 9th-most used WMATA Metro station in Virginia, and is also used by weekday commuters for connections to the Fredericksburg Line of the Virginia Railway Express.Notable places nearby
- Springfield Mall (Virginia)Springfield Mall (Virginia)Springfield Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Springfield, Virginia, located at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Franconia Road which is part of the Springfield Interchange. The mall is also located 1/4 mile north of Franconia-Springfield Parkway and the Franconia-Springfield metro station...
- Kingstowne, VirginiaKingstowne, VirginiaKingstowne is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It is a master-planned community that lies amidst the Washington, D.C. suburbs of Springfield, Alexandria, and Lorton, Virginia and is centered around the intersection of South Van Dorn Street and Kingstowne...
Town Center (Shopping Area)
External links
- VRE: Franconia/Springfield Station
- WMATA: Franconia–Springfield Station
- StationMasters Online: Franconia–Springfield Station
- The Schumin Web Transit Center: Franconia–Springfield Station
- USA Rail Guide: Franconia–Springfield Station