Finally, passengers flying from the largest international airport in the Washington, DC area will have direct rail access to the city.
With a few weeks left until the Thanksgiving travel season begins, the Washington area Metrorail system set to open Its much-anticipated expansion to Dulles International Airport (IAD) on November 15, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority announced Monday.
Dulles, which is the hub for United Airlines and has seen its surroundings transform in recent decades into a major technology corridor, will now have direct access to Washington through the Silver Line expansion.
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Passengers can ride the train through an underground tunnel that connects to the airport’s baggage claim area, which is accessible to all departing and arriving passengers. Historically, expensive car services from Dulles to downtown Washington have faced reduced rush-hour traffic that can Price $60 and up. Located between Virginia’s Fairfax and Loudoun counties, Dulles is about 28 miles from downtown Washington.
The 11 1/2-mile, $3 billion extension will provide the Northern Virginia suburb with six new Silver Line stations, completing the final phase of a 23-mile extension project that began in 2009. In addition Dulles, these stations are Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Loudoun Gate and Ashburn.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) served by public rail transport for many years, but that airport near the city center mainly serves short domestic flights. Even at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) – often considered one of the metro area’s three airports – passengers can take an airport shuttle bus to catch the Amtrak train or rail service commute into downtown Washington. BWI also has light rail connections to downtown Baltimore. But at Dulles, the Silver Line expansion will change the public transit map of the region’s three major airports, giving passengers a new central rail option at the airport with the majority of international flights. regional and transnational.
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The long-awaited announcement that the Silver Line extension into Dulles will open comes after years of delay. Originally set to open in 2018, the final phase of the expansion into Dulles was marred by years of excess costs and criminal charges against Contractor falsifies the profile of the defective concrete slab. Finally, the federal civil action against the company involved in the case result in a $1 million deal.
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Even in October – just weeks before Metro announced an opening date for the final phase of its expansion – the agency sparred with Washington’s Metrorail Safety Commission after it denied Metro’s request to add 7000-series trains, a newer model, into service, according to The Washington Post.
The commission cited safety concerns with the 7000 series, which led to newer trains being suspended a year after one of those models. Derailment on the Green Line near Arlington Cemetery in October 2021. Subsequent suspensions leave Metro facing train shortages, which have been exacerbated by growing travel demand. Metro has since been trying to win back its entire fleet, according to The Washington Post.
As a result, Metro executives are concerned that there won’t be enough trains to meet demand for the new Silver Line extension to Dulles during Thanksgiving travel.
The Commission and Metro eventually reached an agreement to back some of the newer trains. However, Silver Line is still awaiting certification from the safety committee.
“Metro continues to work on a short list of items that we are coordinating daily with [safety commission],” said Metro. “We appreciate their cooperation and look forward to completing the safety certification before we open our doors to passenger service.”
The first phase of this project Accomplished in 2014, added new stations in Fairfax County. The second phase includes additional stations in the county, along with new stations in Loudoun County, marking Metrorail’s first foray into one of Virginia’s most populous areas.
With the opening on November 15, Dulles will now join the ranks of major US airports with a direct rail connection that takes passengers straight to the downtown areas without the hassle of transportation. traffic. Some of these direct rail connections have opened in the past decade: Line A, connection Denver International Airport (DEN) to downtown Denver, has been revealed in 2016.
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The lack of direct public transport to cities has plagued many airports for years – such as LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which is notorious for its lack of direct public transport. Instead, passengers have to take a bus from the airport and then connect to the subway or another bus.
Metro workers will hand out commemorative flags to train passengers from Dulles and other new Northern Virginia stations on November 15, continuing a tradition dating back to 1976 when the first Metro station opened.
