Silver Line Extension Commences Service to Washington Dulles Airport

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has celebrated the opening of the Silver Line Extension, which has added six new stations and 11.4 miles of track to the Metrorail system.

The Silver Line connects riders to Washington Dulles International Airport, along with 10 other stations in Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Northern Virginia.

The first Silver Line passenger train left Ashburn Station at approximately 2pm on 15 November and headed east to Downtown Largo Station in Prince George’s County following an opening ceremony.

Silver Line Extension
Approximately 500 people attended Grand Opening event for the Silver Line extension

This achievement fulfils the WMTA’s aim of commencing Silver Line services in time for Thanksgiving travel.

Metro General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Randy Clarke said:

“Our customers have been waiting for this day to come. We’ve heard the excitement from people who took the first train in 1976, and people who became transit enthusiasts from their first ride as a child. For them, and for the region, the completion of the Silver Line means a better, greener more affordable way to get to work, school, shopping, entertainment and events, as well as easy access to Washington Dulles International Airport, a gateway to the world.

“As one of the largest construction projects in the United States, the Silver Line provides high-quality, high-capacity transit service between the Dulles corridor, Downtown DC and Prince George’s County, Maryland.”

This launch expands the reach of the existing regional rail system and offers a viable alternative to automobile travel.

Indeed, with the Silver Line Extension, Metrorail now serves 97 stations on a 128-mile system in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said:

“The Silver Line extension is going to make life more affordable, give people better access to jobs throughout the region, reduce the time that drivers sit in traffic on our roads, and provide a level of convenience getting to Dulles Airport that has been a long time coming. One year after President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are improving transportation systems across the country to save time and money for commuters.”

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