Silver Line (Washington Metro)
Encyclopedia
The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, formally dubbed the Silver Line, is an extension of the Washington Metro
rapid transit
system, currently under construction with the goal of providing rapid transit service to Dulles International Airport and Tysons Corner. The line consists of 29 stations
from Route 772 in Loudoun County
, Virginia
, to Stadium–Armory in Washington, D.C.
, United States
. The current plan calls for stations in Loudoun, Fairfax
, and Arlington
counties in Virginia
, and the District of Columbia. Eighteen stations will be shared with the Orange Line
, including all thirteen shared between the Orange and Blue Lines
from Rosslyn to Stadium–Armory.
The line will be 23 miles (37 km) long and is estimated to cost up to $6.8 billion. In 2008, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
(MWAA) started building the new track in Fairfax
and Loudoun
counties in Virginia. The sections in Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., are to be shared with the Orange and Blue Lines, which were completed in the 1970s and 1980s. The line will open in two phases with 11.6 miles (18.7 km) of Phase I service to Reston, Virginia
, to open in 2013 and an additional 11.5 miles (18.5 km) of Phase II service to the airport and Loudoun County in 2016. The Silver Line is the largest expansion project by route mileage since the inception of the Washington Metro in 1976.
by rail to Washington Dulles International Airport
and the edge cities
of Tysons Corner
, Reston
, Herndon
, and Ashburn
. The second is to spur urban development in Tysons Corner and reduce overall reliance on highway traffic in the business district, Virginia's largest and the 12th-largest in the country. The district's area is comparable in size to downtown Washington, D.C., but is rather insulated from its surrounding neighborhoods and has no existing grid pattern in its streets.
The Silver Line would also improve public access to the Udvar-Hazy Center
, an annex of National Air and Space Museum
located near Dulles Airport; Virginia Regional Transit currently runs a shuttle bus from the airport to Udvar-Hazy.
The pre-existing portions of the Silver Line opened on July 1, 1977 from Stadium/Armory to Rosslyn, and on December 11, 1979 from Rosslyn to Ballston, and East Falls Church opened on June 7, 1986. Unlike all prior segments of the Metrorail system, which were designed and constructed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(WMATA), this line will be designed and constructed by the MWAA and operated by WMATA. The first phase of the project is funded 43% by $900 million of federal funding, 28% by a special tax district on commercial property proximate to the Silver Line route, and 28% by a $0.50 toll increase on the Dulles Toll Road. Funding for the second phase of the project will be shared by Loudoun County, Fairfax County, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
.
The Silver Line branches off the Orange Line immediately east of the West Falls Church station. The new track runs in the median of the Dulles Access Road until an elevated bridge takes it over Virginia Route 123. Two elevated stops along the west side of Route 123 serve the national headquarters of CapitalOne and two enclosed Tysons Corner shopping malls. The track then enters a tunnel which emerges in the median of Virginia Route 7. Two elevated stations above Route 7 serve the western section of Tysons Corner. The elevated track then swings into the median of the Dulles Access Road until it reaches the airport. Along the way, four or possibly five new stations would be built with platforms in the median of the access road and a faregate and pedestrian bridges to parking areas elevated above the highway. In anticipation of the Herndon – Reston West station being built, in 1999 Fairfax County constructed a 1,750-space parking garage with ramps to the Dulles Access Road toll lanes, and this facility is being used for bus commuters on an interim basis. The garage has drawn criticism because of alleged construction flaws. As currently planned, upon reaching the airport the track will enter a tunnel which will follow the path of the arrivals driveway of the airport terminal to a station located close to the terminal. The track would leave the tunnel near the airport hotel and economy parking lots and would head north parallel to the main runways. A storage yard and maintenance facility would branch off to the west occupying the airport's buffer zone north of the end of its major runways. The final two stops would be in the median of the Dulles Greenway, serving the Ashburn suburb. Hence, the line is expected to draw both airport traffic and commuters from the far western suburbs of Washington, DC. Buses currently provide these users with limited public transportation. In contrast, the Silver Line is expected to provide trains once every six minutes during rush hours and once every fourteen minutes during non-rush hours.
Sixty-four of Metro's new 7000 series cars have been ordered for Silver Line service. The contract was signed on July 2, 2010 for 428 cars. Each car is expected to cost $3 million.
The federal government, which owned and operated Dulles Airport before Congress created the MWAA, built the Dulles Access Road in the 1960s to connect the airport to Washington by way of Interstate 66
. As the access road was built, the government opted to reserve the median
of the road for some form of rail transit, and the nearby West Falls Church station was designed so that the line could eventually be extended in this direction.
In 1995, the Virginia General Assembly authorized the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to provide for "additional improvements to the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Access Road corridor... including, but not limited to, mass transit, including rail, and capacity-enhancing treatments... from surplus net revenues of the Dulles Toll Road".
In 1998, Raytheon
Engineers and Constructors proposed to build and operate a Dulles Corridor Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) system, while completing final design for the rail extension to the airport. In January 1999, The Tysons-Dulles Corridor Group (led by Bechtel Corporation and West*Group) offered a competing BRT proposal that would ultimately extend the rail line to Route 772. These proposals prompted the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to evaluate the merits of BRT and heavy rail public transit in the corridor.
Local residents and officials had talked of a Metro extension to Dulles since the Washington Metro began service in 1976, but significant planning did not begin until 2000. The Dulles Corridor Rapid Transit Project "scoping" process began in April 2000 with a series of meetings with local and federal officials, designed to collect the necessary authorities for the project. Local and federal law required extensive Analysis of Alternatives
– the two most likely being bus lanes or inaction – and of the environmental impact. The rail-only line won over the other alternatives. Initial environmental hearings, which closed on August 28, 2002, were positive. The project received formal approval on June 10, 2004.
In February 2005, the CTB approved a 50 cent increase in the Dulles Toll Road toll rates, effective May 22, 2005, and "reaffirm[ed] that no less than 85 percent of existing surplus Dulles Toll Road net revenues shall be dedicated for mass transit and rail in the [Dulles] Corrdor" and provided "that all additional toll revenue generated from the May 22, 2005 toll adjustment shall be dedicated to the [Metrorail] Project." Between July 1, 2003, and November 1, 2008, when the toll road was transferred to MWAA, over $138 million in net surplus toll revenue (together with accumulated interest) was provided to MWAA for the Silver Line project.
—found the costs to be too high, the design was changed to use a short tunnel, running only between the Tysons 123 and Tysons 7 stations (underneath higher ground) with all four stations being at or above ground. In March 2006, the contractor was ordered to examine an alternative "large bore" tunnel digging technique (successfully used in Europe) with the potential to lower costs of a tunnel through the entire Tysons section. The contractor found that there would not be a significant cost reduction and proposed staying with the short tunnel option.
After allegations that the design contractor had inflated costs for the tunnel in order to avoid sharing the job with an outside tunneling contractor, the long tunnel concept was revived in April 2006. The allegations led to calls for an outside cost estimate to determine more realistic tunnel costs. On May 15, 2006, Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce R. Homer announced the creation of an advisory panel headed by the American Society of Civil Engineers
. The panel had about two months to evaluate options for completing the line through Tysons Corner, with the results presented to the state on July 27, 2006 and published on July 31, 2006.
On September 6, 2006, Virginia Governor
Tim Kaine
announced his decision in favor of an elevated track through Tysons Corner. In his statement, Kaine said he believed a tunnel would be the best option, but decided against it, citing a fear of losing federal funding for the project.
Shortly after Governor Kaine's decision, the Greater McLean
Chamber of Commerce
formed a coalition of tunnel supporters (called TysonsTunnel, Inc.) and put forth a technical proposal to help revive consideration of building a tunnel through Tysons Corner. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
hired an independent consultant to assess the coalition's proposal. However, the consultant's report—sent to Secretary Homer on March 7, 2007—stated that "[t]here is a significant risk that the project cost of a Large Bore Tunnel would not meet the Federal Transit Administration
's (FTA's) cost-effectiveness ratio criteria, which could compromise federal funding for the project."
On November 26, 2007, Tysons Tunnel, Inc. filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Transportation
and the FTA in the Eastern District of Virginia challenging the denial of their petition to reopen and consider additional evidence regarding the benefits of a tunnel over the aerial option. Gary Baise, the Republican
challenger to Gerry Connolly
's Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Chairmanship, represented Tysons Tunnel. By 2010, Tysons Tunnel, Inc. ceased operations.
Start of construction was delayed as approval of the $900 million federal contribution to project costs awaited the conclusion of FTA's review of the proposal submitted by Virginia. Virginia government representatives, including Governor
Tim Kaine
and U.S. Senator John Warner
(R) and Jim Webb
(D), arrived at the FTA on January 24, 2008 to address last minute concerns by FTA staff and administrators. FTA Administrator James Simpson
presented Governor Kaine with a letter that contained stark criticisms of the project as presented. The project as presented was given a "medium-low" rating (projects must receive a "medium" or higher rating to be approved under the Federal New Starts Funds project) and determined ineligible to receive the $900 million in federal funding. FTA's concerns included the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's inexperience in large design-build contracts, an exaggeration of funding numbers from the Dulles Toll Road, and an inability for Metro to maintain the 23 miles (37 km) line once it had been built. Virginia leaders vowed to address the concerns by January 28, 2008, as several fixed price contracts for building materials costs were due to expire on February 1. Governor Kaine requested an extension of the deadline to February 1, which was granted by the FTA.
On April 30, 2008, the FTA reversed the earlier decision and approved the above-ground project, saying that it met standards for cost efficiency, construction, and ridership, moving it closer to receiving the $900 million in federal funding. Officials told The Washington Post
that the project would move into the final design stage. The FTA approved funding for the project on December 4, 2008.
On March 10, 2009, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
signed the formal agreement that awarded the $900 million promised by the federal government for construction of the Silver Line, with major construction expected to begin in several weeks. Utility relocation work had been underway in Tysons Corner since mid-2008.
(VDOT) to the MWAA. Utility relocation work began in 2008, and construction began on March 12, 2009.
The extension will run in its own right-of-way on a route similar to that of the Dulles Access Road, running both at grade and via aerial structures. The only significant diversions from the access road route are for the stops in Tysons Corner and at Dulles International Airport, where the Metro is currently planned to alternate between subway and elevated track to maintain the exclusive right-of-way.
Service on Phase I of the Silver Line is expected to begin in 2013 between Reston – Wiehle Avenue and Stadium–Armory, with five new stations being added to the existing network west of East Falls Church. The full line to Route 772, including a station at Dulles International Airport, is expected to be completed in 2016. There will also be a provision made for a future in-fill station at Wolf Trap
, between Reston – Wiehle Avenue and Tysons – Spring Hill Road.
One lane of southbound State Route 123 in Tysons Corner was closed for a two-year period, starting on February 22, 2010, for construction of the Tysons East Metro station. The distance impacted is two blocks, from Scotts Crossing Road to the Capital Beltway
.
There has been controversy over the contract between the MWAA and Dulles Transit Partners, which consists of Bechtel and Washington Group International
. The $2.7 billion project was originally awarded by VDOT under the Virginia Public-Private Partnership Act, rather than by using conventional competitive bidding based upon a detailed specification. As a result, the contractor is allowed to both design and build the project with no upper cap on its cost. Problems could arise from the arrangement where MWAA is supervising the design and construction but ultimately WMATA must operate the Silver Line. The contract provides for price escalation of $3 million to $6 million a month for delays. VDOT transferred the contract to MWAA when MWAA took over the project in November 2008.
MWAA is planning to award a separate design-build contract for Phase II. No start date has been set for Phase II, but a 2016 target date for completion of Phase II remains as a planning objective.
Some of the foundations are located in confined spots adjacent to I-66 and the electrified third rail
of the Orange Line, making access difficult. Dulles Transit Partners offered to inspect seven foundations that were easily accessible, but the FTA insisted that all foundations be tested. Dulles Transit Partners and MWAA agreed to test all foundations before the bridge piers were built upon them. This required the portion of the Orange Line between the West Falls Church and East Falls Church Metro stations to be taken out of service on weekends while the tests were conducted. The foundations were acceptable, and the bridge construction proceeded using the existing foundations.
As a result of the surcharge increases, the toll in 2012 will be $2.25, or 16 cents per mile. The toll increase proposal drew 221 public comments, and opponents outnumbered supporters by about 3 to 1. However, as the cost estimate grew from $5.25 billion to $6.8 billion, no final decisions have been reached to address the projected shortfall.
-designed terminal. Consultants estimate that an above-ground station would save $640 million in construction costs. Early cost estimates for Phase II had been $2.75 billion, however a group of consultants increased the estimate in 2010 to $3.44 billion to $4.1 billion.
On April 6, 2011, the MWAA Board voted 9 to 4 to build an underground station located 550 feet (167.6 m) from the airport terminal rather than an above-ground station 1150 feet (350.5 m) away from the terminal. The underground station would be more convenient to travelers, but would come at an additional cost of $330 million and would extend the construction time of the project, delaying the expected opening to mid-2017. Several Virginia Republican politicians including Governor Bob McDonnell
, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli
, Rep. Frank Wolf, and former Congressman Tom Davis oppose the decision to build a more expensive underground station, and have threatened to withhold support for the project and to propose increasing the number of Virginia representatives to the MWAA Board. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
has offered to mediate the dispute.
Furthermore, Cuccinelli stated in a radio interview with WMAL that the project is an "economic boondoggle," and "the cost-benefit just is not there." He also stated "I hope [voters in November, 2011] elect an entire [Loudoun county] board who's committed to pulling out of Phase Two to kill it." Additionally, Cuccinelli has concerns over the MWAA labor contract for Phase II, and stated he is prepared to sue MWAA if a "project labor agreement" were in place, for violating Virginia's right to work laws. In November 2011, the MWAA, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties came to a funding agreement to pay for Phase II of the project with federal loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
designed it in 1976, takes—according to some observers— a "pop art" approach to representing its subway network. The Metro rail map uses unusually "thick" strokes to mark its radial lines. To fit in the current space and make use of the iconography as currently proportioned, the map relies upon the fact that no more than two lines overlap at any single location. The addition of the Silver Line, however, will create a three-line overlap from Rosslyn to Stadium-Armory, a fact that led WMATA to publicly announce in 2010 that it is considering a new map design. A number of unofficial attempts by graphic designers to redraw the Washington Metro map to include the Silver Line have done so by thinning the strokes throughout. In 2003, predating Booth's attempt, WMATA released a professionally designed graphic that displayed the Silver Line on an unofficial map that resembled the current version, but with thin lines. The interplay between Metro's unofficial proposal and those of other designers has received attention in a number of press outlets. A poster displaying a map of similar design has been hanging in DC Councilman Jack Evans' office for a number of years, but received scant attention until 2008. Wyman, the original designer of the map, was confirmed as the layout specialist who would be redesigning the map by the Washington Post on June 4, 2011.
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...
rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system, currently under construction with the goal of providing rapid transit service to Dulles International Airport and Tysons Corner. The line consists of 29 stations
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....
from Route 772 in Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
, 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...
, to Stadium–Armory in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The current plan calls for stations in Loudoun, Fairfax
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, and Arlington
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
counties in 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...
, and the District of Columbia. Eighteen stations will be shared with the Orange Line
Orange Line (Washington Metro)
The Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 rapid transit stations from Vienna to New Carrollton. It has stations in Fairfax County and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland. Half of the line's stations are shared with the Blue Line, and over...
, including all thirteen shared between the Orange and Blue Lines
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...
from Rosslyn to Stadium–Armory.
The line will be 23 miles (37 km) long and is estimated to cost up to $6.8 billion. In 2008, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is an independent airport authority, created by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia with the consent of the United States Congress to oversee management, operations, and capital development of Washington, D.C.'s two major airports:...
(MWAA) started building the new track in Fairfax
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
and Loudoun
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
counties in Virginia. The sections in Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., are to be shared with the Orange and Blue Lines, which were completed in the 1970s and 1980s. The line will open in two phases with 11.6 miles (18.7 km) of Phase I service to Reston, Virginia
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...
, to open in 2013 and an additional 11.5 miles (18.5 km) of Phase II service to the airport and Loudoun County in 2016. The Silver Line is the largest expansion project by route mileage since the inception of the Washington Metro in 1976.
Description
The Silver Line has two primary goals. The first is to link Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
by rail to Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of...
and the edge cities
Edge city
"Edge city" is an American term for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional urban area in what had recently been a residential suburb or semi-rural community...
of Tysons Corner
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...
, Reston
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...
, Herndon
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
, and Ashburn
Ashburn, Virginia
Ashburn, Virginia is a census-designated place located in Loudoun County, Virginia, northwest of Washington, D.C., and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area...
. The second is to spur urban development in Tysons Corner and reduce overall reliance on highway traffic in the business district, Virginia's largest and the 12th-largest in the country. The district's area is comparable in size to downtown Washington, D.C., but is rather insulated from its surrounding neighborhoods and has no existing grid pattern in its streets.
The Silver Line would also improve public access to the Udvar-Hazy Center
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum 's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia, United States....
, an annex of National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
located near Dulles Airport; Virginia Regional Transit currently runs a shuttle bus from the airport to Udvar-Hazy.
The pre-existing portions of the Silver Line opened on July 1, 1977 from Stadium/Armory to Rosslyn, and on December 11, 1979 from Rosslyn to Ballston, and East Falls Church opened on June 7, 1986. Unlike all prior segments of the Metrorail system, which were designed and constructed 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), this line will be designed and constructed by the MWAA and operated by WMATA. The first phase of the project is funded 43% by $900 million of federal funding, 28% by a special tax district on commercial property proximate to the Silver Line route, and 28% by a $0.50 toll increase on the Dulles Toll Road. Funding for the second phase of the project will be shared by Loudoun County, Fairfax County, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is an independent airport authority, created by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia with the consent of the United States Congress to oversee management, operations, and capital development of Washington, D.C.'s two major airports:...
.
The Silver Line branches off the Orange Line immediately east of the West Falls Church station. The new track runs in the median of the Dulles Access Road until an elevated bridge takes it over Virginia Route 123. Two elevated stops along the west side of Route 123 serve the national headquarters of CapitalOne and two enclosed Tysons Corner shopping malls. The track then enters a tunnel which emerges in the median of Virginia Route 7. Two elevated stations above Route 7 serve the western section of Tysons Corner. The elevated track then swings into the median of the Dulles Access Road until it reaches the airport. Along the way, four or possibly five new stations would be built with platforms in the median of the access road and a faregate and pedestrian bridges to parking areas elevated above the highway. In anticipation of the Herndon – Reston West station being built, in 1999 Fairfax County constructed a 1,750-space parking garage with ramps to the Dulles Access Road toll lanes, and this facility is being used for bus commuters on an interim basis. The garage has drawn criticism because of alleged construction flaws. As currently planned, upon reaching the airport the track will enter a tunnel which will follow the path of the arrivals driveway of the airport terminal to a station located close to the terminal. The track would leave the tunnel near the airport hotel and economy parking lots and would head north parallel to the main runways. A storage yard and maintenance facility would branch off to the west occupying the airport's buffer zone north of the end of its major runways. The final two stops would be in the median of the Dulles Greenway, serving the Ashburn suburb. Hence, the line is expected to draw both airport traffic and commuters from the far western suburbs of Washington, DC. Buses currently provide these users with limited public transportation. In contrast, the Silver Line is expected to provide trains once every six minutes during rush hours and once every fourteen minutes during non-rush hours.
Sixty-four of Metro's new 7000 series cars have been ordered for Silver Line service. The contract was signed on July 2, 2010 for 428 cars. Each car is expected to cost $3 million.
History
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
. As the access road was built, the government opted to reserve the median
Central reservation
On divided roads, such as divided highways or freeways/motorways, the central reservation , median, parkway , median strip or central nature strip is the area which separates opposing lanes of traffic...
of the road for some form of rail transit, and the nearby West Falls Church station was designed so that the line could eventually be extended in this direction.
In 1995, the Virginia General Assembly authorized the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to provide for "additional improvements to the Dulles Toll Road and Dulles Access Road corridor... including, but not limited to, mass transit, including rail, and capacity-enhancing treatments... from surplus net revenues of the Dulles Toll Road".
In 1998, Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
Engineers and Constructors proposed to build and operate a Dulles Corridor Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
(BRT) system, while completing final design for the rail extension to the airport. In January 1999, The Tysons-Dulles Corridor Group (led by Bechtel Corporation and West*Group) offered a competing BRT proposal that would ultimately extend the rail line to Route 772. These proposals prompted the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to evaluate the merits of BRT and heavy rail public transit in the corridor.
Local residents and officials had talked of a Metro extension to Dulles since the Washington Metro began service in 1976, but significant planning did not begin until 2000. The Dulles Corridor Rapid Transit Project "scoping" process began in April 2000 with a series of meetings with local and federal officials, designed to collect the necessary authorities for the project. Local and federal law required extensive Analysis of Alternatives
Analysis of Alternatives
This article refers to the Analysis of Alternatives military process, not the general business practice. The AoA is a cornerstone of Military Acquisition, and deliberately embodies the fair and competitive character of the United States business atmosphere...
– the two most likely being bus lanes or inaction – and of the environmental impact. The rail-only line won over the other alternatives. Initial environmental hearings, which closed on August 28, 2002, were positive. The project received formal approval on June 10, 2004.
In February 2005, the CTB approved a 50 cent increase in the Dulles Toll Road toll rates, effective May 22, 2005, and "reaffirm[ed] that no less than 85 percent of existing surplus Dulles Toll Road net revenues shall be dedicated for mass transit and rail in the [Dulles] Corrdor" and provided "that all additional toll revenue generated from the May 22, 2005 toll adjustment shall be dedicated to the [Metrorail] Project." Between July 1, 2003, and November 1, 2008, when the toll road was transferred to MWAA, over $138 million in net surplus toll revenue (together with accumulated interest) was provided to MWAA for the Silver Line project.
Tysons Corner tunnel dispute
Early plans called for a tunnel running from before the Tysons East station to beyond the Tysons West station, with all four stations in between being below ground. When the contractor hired to design the Silver Line—a consortium of Bechtel and Washington Group InternationalWashington Group International
Washington Group International was an American corporation which provided integrated engineering, construction and management services to businesses and governments around the world. Based in Boise, Idaho, it had approximately 25,000 employees working in over 40 states and more than 30 countries...
—found the costs to be too high, the design was changed to use a short tunnel, running only between the Tysons 123 and Tysons 7 stations (underneath higher ground) with all four stations being at or above ground. In March 2006, the contractor was ordered to examine an alternative "large bore" tunnel digging technique (successfully used in Europe) with the potential to lower costs of a tunnel through the entire Tysons section. The contractor found that there would not be a significant cost reduction and proposed staying with the short tunnel option.
After allegations that the design contractor had inflated costs for the tunnel in order to avoid sharing the job with an outside tunneling contractor, the long tunnel concept was revived in April 2006. The allegations led to calls for an outside cost estimate to determine more realistic tunnel costs. On May 15, 2006, Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce R. Homer announced the creation of an advisory panel headed by the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
. The panel had about two months to evaluate options for completing the line through Tysons Corner, with the results presented to the state on July 27, 2006 and published on July 31, 2006.
On September 6, 2006, Virginia Governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
announced his decision in favor of an elevated track through Tysons Corner. In his statement, Kaine said he believed a tunnel would be the best option, but decided against it, citing a fear of losing federal funding for the project.
Shortly after Governor Kaine's decision, the Greater McLean
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
formed a coalition of tunnel supporters (called TysonsTunnel, Inc.) and put forth a technical proposal to help revive consideration of building a tunnel through Tysons Corner. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.According to its web site, the state agency's mission is "to improve the mobility of people and goods while expanding transportation choices in the Commonwealth."The three...
hired an independent consultant to assess the coalition's proposal. However, the consultant's report—sent to Secretary Homer on March 7, 2007—stated that "[t]here is a significant risk that the project cost of a Large Bore Tunnel would not meet the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
's (FTA's) cost-effectiveness ratio criteria, which could compromise federal funding for the project."
On November 26, 2007, Tysons Tunnel, Inc. filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
and the FTA in the Eastern District of Virginia challenging the denial of their petition to reopen and consider additional evidence regarding the benefits of a tunnel over the aerial option. Gary Baise, the Republican
Republican Party of Virginia
The Republican Party of Virginia is the Virginia chapter of the Republican Party. It is based in the Richard D. Obenshain Center in Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia.- Organization and candidate selection :The State Party Plan...
challenger to Gerry Connolly
Gerry Connolly
Gerald E. 'Gerry' Connolly is a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia's 11th congressional district. He was first elected in 2008. Connolly is a member of the Democratic Party....
's Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, sometimes abbreviated as FCBS, is the governing body of Fairfax County; a county of over a million in Northern Virginia. The board has nine districts, and one at-large district which is always occupied by the Chair...
Chairmanship, represented Tysons Tunnel. By 2010, Tysons Tunnel, Inc. ceased operations.
Start of construction was delayed as approval of the $900 million federal contribution to project costs awaited the conclusion of FTA's review of the proposal submitted by Virginia. Virginia government representatives, including Governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
and U.S. Senator John Warner
John Warner
John William Warner, KBE is an American Republican politician who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term United States Senator from Virginia from January 2, 1979, to January 3, 2009...
(R) and Jim Webb
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D), arrived at the FTA on January 24, 2008 to address last minute concerns by FTA staff and administrators. FTA Administrator James Simpson
James Simpson
James, Jim, or Jimmy Simpson may refer to:* James Simpson , polar explorer* James Young Simpson , Scottish doctor and pioneer in use of chloroform as anaesthetic...
presented Governor Kaine with a letter that contained stark criticisms of the project as presented. The project as presented was given a "medium-low" rating (projects must receive a "medium" or higher rating to be approved under the Federal New Starts Funds project) and determined ineligible to receive the $900 million in federal funding. FTA's concerns included the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority's inexperience in large design-build contracts, an exaggeration of funding numbers from the Dulles Toll Road, and an inability for Metro to maintain the 23 miles (37 km) line once it had been built. Virginia leaders vowed to address the concerns by January 28, 2008, as several fixed price contracts for building materials costs were due to expire on February 1. Governor Kaine requested an extension of the deadline to February 1, which was granted by the FTA.
On April 30, 2008, the FTA reversed the earlier decision and approved the above-ground project, saying that it met standards for cost efficiency, construction, and ridership, moving it closer to receiving the $900 million in federal funding. Officials told The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
that the project would move into the final design stage. The FTA approved funding for the project on December 4, 2008.
On March 10, 2009, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
Ray LaHood
Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
signed the formal agreement that awarded the $900 million promised by the federal government for construction of the Silver Line, with major construction expected to begin in several weeks. Utility relocation work had been underway in Tysons Corner since mid-2008.
Construction begins
Although construction was planned to begin in 2005, the delays in approval of funding pushed back the start date. To facilitate Silver Line construction, responsibility for the project was transferred on November 1, 2008 from the Virginia Department of TransportationVirginia Department of Transportation
The Virginia Department of Transportation is the agency of state government responsible for transportation in the state of Virginia in the United States. Headquartered in Downtown Richmond, VDOT is responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the roads, bridges and tunnels in the...
(VDOT) to the MWAA. Utility relocation work began in 2008, and construction began on March 12, 2009.
The extension will run in its own right-of-way on a route similar to that of the Dulles Access Road, running both at grade and via aerial structures. The only significant diversions from the access road route are for the stops in Tysons Corner and at Dulles International Airport, where the Metro is currently planned to alternate between subway and elevated track to maintain the exclusive right-of-way.
Service on Phase I of the Silver Line is expected to begin in 2013 between Reston – Wiehle Avenue and Stadium–Armory, with five new stations being added to the existing network west of East Falls Church. The full line to Route 772, including a station at Dulles International Airport, is expected to be completed in 2016. There will also be a provision made for a future in-fill station at Wolf Trap
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, known locally in the Washington, D.C. area as simply Wolf Trap, is a performing arts center located on 130 acres of national park land in Wolf Trap, Virginia...
, between Reston – Wiehle Avenue and Tysons – Spring Hill Road.
One lane of southbound State Route 123 in Tysons Corner was closed for a two-year period, starting on February 22, 2010, for construction of the Tysons East Metro station. The distance impacted is two blocks, from Scotts Crossing Road to the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
.
There has been controversy over the contract between the MWAA and Dulles Transit Partners, which consists of Bechtel and Washington Group International
Washington Group International
Washington Group International was an American corporation which provided integrated engineering, construction and management services to businesses and governments around the world. Based in Boise, Idaho, it had approximately 25,000 employees working in over 40 states and more than 30 countries...
. The $2.7 billion project was originally awarded by VDOT under the Virginia Public-Private Partnership Act, rather than by using conventional competitive bidding based upon a detailed specification. As a result, the contractor is allowed to both design and build the project with no upper cap on its cost. Problems could arise from the arrangement where MWAA is supervising the design and construction but ultimately WMATA must operate the Silver Line. The contract provides for price escalation of $3 million to $6 million a month for delays. VDOT transferred the contract to MWAA when MWAA took over the project in November 2008.
MWAA is planning to award a separate design-build contract for Phase II. No start date has been set for Phase II, but a 2016 target date for completion of Phase II remains as a planning objective.
Pier support
When the Orange Line was originally constructed in 1977, foundations for the bridges to carry the Silver Line over I-66 to the median of the Dulles Access Road were built up to ground level. These foundations included steel piles that were driven into the ground and capped with concrete. However, detailed records for these original foundations were lost. As a result, engineers asked for the foundations to be inspected by digging around them to determine the condition of each pile under the concrete foundation caps.Some of the foundations are located in confined spots adjacent to I-66 and the electrified third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
of the Orange Line, making access difficult. Dulles Transit Partners offered to inspect seven foundations that were easily accessible, but the FTA insisted that all foundations be tested. Dulles Transit Partners and MWAA agreed to test all foundations before the bridge piers were built upon them. This required the portion of the Orange Line between the West Falls Church and East Falls Church Metro stations to be taken out of service on weekends while the tests were conducted. The foundations were acceptable, and the bridge construction proceeded using the existing foundations.
Financing
Although the original financing plan called for a 50-cent toll increase on the Dulles Toll Road to finance the Silver Line (25 cents at the main plaza and 25 cents at the ramp plazas), the increase in projected costs resulted in the MWAA Board approving an increase in the surcharges. Effective January 1, 2010, the fare surcharge was increased to 50 cents at both the main plaza and ramp plazas, with additional 25-cent increases in main-plaza tolls set for 2011 and 2012. These toll surcharges are designed to support MWAA's 52.6% share of the projected $5.25 billion combined cost of Phase I and Phase II. MWAA has justified these toll increases as necessary to meet an estimated $220 million in annual debt-service costs projected by 2020. These toll revenue requirements were based on the assumption that the federal government, although it contributed $900 million to Phase I, would not contribute funds for Phase II.As a result of the surcharge increases, the toll in 2012 will be $2.25, or 16 cents per mile. The toll increase proposal drew 221 public comments, and opponents outnumbered supporters by about 3 to 1. However, as the cost estimate grew from $5.25 billion to $6.8 billion, no final decisions have been reached to address the projected shortfall.
Phase II Dulles extension
While construction of Phase I to Reston – Wiehle Avenue is underway, the funding and planning of Phase II through Dulles Airport continues. This includes the adoption of a special taxing district by the Town of Herndon and a public planning forum. In order to address escalations in the projected cost of Phase II, the MWAA Board is considering alternatives to the original plan for an underground station adjacent to the Dulles Airport terminal. Alternatives being considered are an underground station near the airport's north garage about 550 feet (167.6 m) from the terminal, and above ground stations located either at the present arrival road ramp or at the parking garage. These plans have drawn concerns from the Virginia Historic Preservation Office regarding the visual impact on the Eero SaarinenEero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.-Biography:Eero Saarinen shared the same birthday as his father,...
-designed terminal. Consultants estimate that an above-ground station would save $640 million in construction costs. Early cost estimates for Phase II had been $2.75 billion, however a group of consultants increased the estimate in 2010 to $3.44 billion to $4.1 billion.
On April 6, 2011, the MWAA Board voted 9 to 4 to build an underground station located 550 feet (167.6 m) from the airport terminal rather than an above-ground station 1150 feet (350.5 m) away from the terminal. The underground station would be more convenient to travelers, but would come at an additional cost of $330 million and would extend the construction time of the project, delaying the expected opening to mid-2017. Several Virginia Republican politicians including Governor Bob McDonnell
Bob McDonnell
Robert Francis "Bob" McDonnell is an American politician who has been the 71st Governor of Virginia since January 2010. A former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army, McDonnell served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1993 to 2006 and served as Attorney General of Virginia from 2006...
, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli
Ken Cuccinelli
Kenneth Thomas 'Ken' Cuccinelli II is a U.S. politician and the Attorney General of Virginia. From 2002 until January 16, 2010 he was a Republican member of the Senate of Virginia, representing the 37th district in Fairfax County...
, Rep. Frank Wolf, and former Congressman Tom Davis oppose the decision to build a more expensive underground station, and have threatened to withhold support for the project and to propose increasing the number of Virginia representatives to the MWAA Board. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood
Ray LaHood
Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
has offered to mediate the dispute.
Furthermore, Cuccinelli stated in a radio interview with WMAL that the project is an "economic boondoggle," and "the cost-benefit just is not there." He also stated "I hope [voters in November, 2011] elect an entire [Loudoun county] board who's committed to pulling out of Phase Two to kill it." Additionally, Cuccinelli has concerns over the MWAA labor contract for Phase II, and stated he is prepared to sue MWAA if a "project labor agreement" were in place, for violating Virginia's right to work laws. In November 2011, the MWAA, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties came to a funding agreement to pay for Phase II of the project with federal loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Impact on the Metro map
Metro's iconic rail map, in distribution since Lance WymanLance Wyman
Lance Wyman is an American graphic designer. He is known for such work as the logo of the 1968 Summer Olympic Games and the route map of the Washington Metro.-Life and career:...
designed it in 1976, takes—according to some observers— a "pop art" approach to representing its subway network. The Metro rail map uses unusually "thick" strokes to mark its radial lines. To fit in the current space and make use of the iconography as currently proportioned, the map relies upon the fact that no more than two lines overlap at any single location. The addition of the Silver Line, however, will create a three-line overlap from Rosslyn to Stadium-Armory, a fact that led WMATA to publicly announce in 2010 that it is considering a new map design. A number of unofficial attempts by graphic designers to redraw the Washington Metro map to include the Silver Line have done so by thinning the strokes throughout. In 2003, predating Booth's attempt, WMATA released a professionally designed graphic that displayed the Silver Line on an unofficial map that resembled the current version, but with thin lines. The interplay between Metro's unofficial proposal and those of other designers has received attention in a number of press outlets. A poster displaying a map of similar design has been hanging in DC Councilman Jack Evans' office for a number of years, but received scant attention until 2008. Wyman, the original designer of the map, was confirmed as the layout specialist who would be redesigning the map by the Washington Post on June 4, 2011.
List of planned stations, west to east
Stations west of Dulles Airport are listed by their planning names. East of Dulles Airport, proposed/under construction stations are listed by their proposed names.| Other lines | Station name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Route 772 | ||
| Route 606 | ||
| Dulles International Airport | ||
| Herndon – Dulles East | Planning name: Route 28 | |
| Herndon – Reston West | Planning name: Herndon–Monroe | |
| Reston Town Center | Planning name: Reston Parkway | |
| Reston – Wiehle Avenue | Planning name: Wiehle Avenue | |
| Wolf Trap | Provision for future in-fill station (currently not planned) | |
| Tysons – Spring Hill Road | Planning name: Tysons West | |
| Tysons Central | Planning name: Tysons Central 7 | |
| Tysons I & II | Planning name: Tysons Central 123 | |
| Tysons–McLean | Planning name: Tysons East | |
| Orange | East Falls Church | Orange Line Orange Line (Washington Metro) The Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 rapid transit stations from Vienna to New Carrollton. It has stations in Fairfax County and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland. Half of the line's stations are shared with the Blue Line, and over... joins on same track |
| Orange | Ballston–MU | |
| Orange | Virginia Square – GMU | |
| Orange | Clarendon | |
| Orange | Court House | |
| Orange Blue |
Rosslyn | Blue Line 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... joins on same track |
| Orange Blue |
Foggy Bottom – GWU | |
| Orange Blue |
Farragut West | |
| Orange Blue |
McPherson Square | |
| Orange Blue |
Metro Center | Transfer station for Red Line Red Line (Washington Metro) The Red Line of the Washington Metro is a rail rapid transit service operating between 27 stations in Montgomery County, Maryland and the District of Columbia, United States. It is a primary line through downtown Washington, and the oldest and busiest line in the system... |
| Orange Blue |
Federal Triangle | |
| Orange Blue |
Smithsonian | |
| Orange Blue |
L'Enfant Plaza | Transfer station for the Yellow Yellow Line (Washington Metro) The Yellow Line of the Washington Metro consists of 17 rapid transit stations from Huntington to Fort Totten. The line terminates at the Mount Vernon Square station during peak hours.Peak hours are 5 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Service is extended to the Green Line stations during... and Green Green Line (Washington Metro) The Green Line is one of five heavy rail subway lines that constitute the Washington Metro rapid transit system in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Green Line consists of 21 stations, with termini at Branch Avenue and at Greenbelt. The Green Line runs through Prince George's County,... Lines |
| Orange Blue |
Federal Center SW | |
| Orange Blue |
Capitol South | |
| Orange Blue |
Eastern Market | |
| Orange Blue |
Potomac Avenue | |
| Orange Blue |
Stadium–Armory | Blue and Orange Lines continue, and Silver Line trains terminate on a pocket track Pocket track A pocket track or reversing siding is a rail track layout which allows trains to park off the main line. This type of track layout differs from a passing loop in that the pocket track is usually located between two main lines, rather than off to the side.... east of the station |
