Crystal City | |||||||||||||||
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General information | |||||||||||||||
Location | 1503 South Crystal Drive, Arlington County, Virginia U.S. | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 38°51′34″N77°02′54″W / 38.85944°N 77.04833°W | ||||||||||||||
Line(s) | CSX RF&P Subdivision | ||||||||||||||
Platforms | 1 side platform | ||||||||||||||
Tracks | 3 | ||||||||||||||
Connections | Washington Metro: (at Crystal City) Arlington Transit: 43 Fairfax Connector: 599 Metrobus: 10N, 23A, 23B Metroway (at 18th & Crystal) PRTC OmniRide | ||||||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||||||
Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||||||
Other information | |||||||||||||||
Station code | CCV | ||||||||||||||
Fare zone | 2 | ||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||
Opened | June 22, 1992 [1] | ||||||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||||||
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Crystal City station is a commuter rail station in the Crystal City section of Arlington County, Virginia, located near the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. It is served by the Fredericksburg Line and Manassas Line of the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) system. VRE plans to rebuild the station nearby to accommodate longer trains and increased service.
The station has a single side platform located on the west side of the three tracks of the RF&P Subdivision. [2] Crystal City station, used by 18% of VRE riders in 2017, represents an "operational bottleneck" for VRE: the single 400-foot (120 m)-long platform is shorter than 700-foot (210 m) trains and forces all trains to use one track. [3] [4]
VRE plans to expand the station into a full-length center platform serving two tracks, with grade-separated access to the platform. An alternatives analysis released in November 2017 analyzed three possible sites. All three sites would allow for a future pedestrian bridge or tunnel to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to give direct airport access from the station and Crystal City. The preferred location was slightly south of the current station, with the platform stretching from 18th Street to south of 20th Street. [2]
Preliminary engineering for the station began in late 2019. [5] As of January 2021 [update] , final design was expected to last from January 2021 to August 2022, with construction from November 2022 to October 2024. [6] In May 2022, Amtrak and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority reached an agreement to add a separate Amtrak platform at the station. [7] The station will be constructed with a single 850-foot (260 m)-long island platform with a low-level section for VRE and a high-level section for Amtrak. [8]
The project was awarded $18.8 million in state funding in June 2023, completing the $50 million in funds needed for the station. [9] An environmental assessment for the airport connection was released in July 2023. The preferred alternative was a footbridge connecting to the south entrance of the VRE station. [10]
Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is a commuter rail service that connects outlying small cities of Northern Virginia to Union Station in Washington, D.C. It operates two lines which run during weekday rush hour only: the Fredericksburg Line from Spotsylvania, Virginia, and the Manassas Line from Broad Run station in Bristow, Virginia. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,537,000, or about 6,600 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.
Washington Union Station, known locally as Union Station, is a major train station, transportation hub, and leisure destination in Washington, D.C. Designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1907, it is Amtrak's headquarters, the railroad's second-busiest station, and North America's 10th-busiest railroad station. The station is the southern terminus of the Northeast Corridor, an electrified rail line extending north through major cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, and the busiest passenger rail line in the nation. In 2015, it served just under five million passengers.
Franconia–Springfield station is a Washington Metro rapid transit station and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail station located in Springfield, Virginia, United States. The station is the southwestern terminus of the Metro Blue Line and an intermediate station on the VRE Fredericksburg Line. It is also a major bus terminal for Fairfax Connector buses, plus other local and intercity bus routes. The station has one island-platform serving the two Metro tracks, plus two side platforms serving the RF&P Subdivision on which the Fredericksburg Line runs.
King Street–Old Town station is a Washington Metro station in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The station opened on December 17, 1983, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for both the Blue and Yellow Lines, this is the southernmost transfer station for the Blue and Yellow lines, as the two lines diverge just south of the station. During inclement weather, Crystal City is commonly used as an unofficial transfer point, being the southernmost underground station common to both lines. King Street was originally served only by the Yellow Line, until the Blue Line was extended from National Airport to Van Dorn Street in 1991.
Braddock Road station is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The station was opened on December 17, 1983, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for both the Blue and Yellow Lines, the station is located at Braddock Road and West Street.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station is a Washington Metro station in Arlington, Virginia on the Blue and Yellow Lines. The station platform is elevated and covered and is the last above-ground station on the Yellow Line in Virginia, heading into Washington, D.C. It is one of only two stations in the system to have three tracks. The station is located across Smith Boulevard from Terminal 2 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; the mezzanine is directly connected to Level 2 of the terminal by two pedestrian bridges. Airport shuttle buses or a walkway connect the station and Terminal 1. The airport's Abingdon Plantation historical site is near the station.
L'Enfant Plaza station is an intermodal transit station complex located at L'Enfant Plaza in the Southwest Federal Center neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It consists of an underground Washington Metro rapid transit station and an elevated Virginia Railway Express commuter rail station.
Newark Penn Station is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, making it the seventh busiest rail station in the United States, and the fourth busiest in the New York City metropolitan area.
Alexandria Union Station is a historic railroad station in Alexandria, Virginia, south of Washington, D.C. To avoid confusion with nearby Washington Union Station, the station is often referred to as simply Alexandria. Its Amtrak code is ALX.
The Southeast Corridor (SEC) is a proposed passenger rail transportation project in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States to extend high-speed passenger rail services from the current southern terminus of the Northeast Corridor in Washington, D.C.. Routes would extend south via Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia, with a spur to Norfolk in Virginia's Hampton Roads region; the mainline would continue south to Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Since the corridor was first established in 1992, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has extended it further to Atlanta, Georgia and Macon, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; and Birmingham, Alabama.
Woodbridge station is a train station in Woodbridge, Virginia. It serves Amtrak's Northeast Regional line and Virginia Railway Express's Fredericksburg Line. Woodbridge's Rippon station is also served by VRE. Woodbridge station is located at 1040 Express Way, on the opposite side of the tracks of the Jefferson Davis Highway.
Quantico station is a train station in Quantico, Virginia, served by two Amtrak trains and the Virginia Railway Express's Fredericksburg Line. The existing station house was originally built by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad in 1953. It is located at 550 Railroad Avenue at Potomac Avenue and is surrounded by the Quantico Marine Base.
Fredericksburg station is a passenger rail station in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is served by Amtrak's Carolinian, Northeast Regional, and Silver Meteor trains, and the Virginia Railway Express's Fredericksburg Line. It is located on Lafayette Boulevard. The station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the RF&P Subdivision.
Leeland Road station is a Virginia Railway Express station located at 275 Leeland Road in Stafford, Virginia, although VRE states that its address is in Falmouth, Virginia. The station serves the Fredericksburg Line and shares the right-of-way with Amtrak's Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Palmetto, Auto Train, and Carolinian trains. However, no Amtrak trains stop here. The station is located next to the Leeland Station community, which was named after the VRE station. It is also next to Conway Elementary School.
Rolling Road station is a Virginia Railway Express station in Burke, Virginia. The station is served by the Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line. Amtrak Cardinal and Crescent trains; also use the line but do not stop at Rolling Road.
The Manassas Line is a Virginia Railway Express commuter rail service that extends from Washington, D.C. to Bristow, Virginia. The first of VRE's two lines, with service beginning on June 22, 1992, the line operates on tracks owned by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.
The RF&P Subdivision is a railroad line operated by CSX Transportation and jointly owned by CSX and Virginia. It runs from Washington, D.C., to Richmond, Virginia, over lines previously owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. The line's name pays homage to that railroad, which was a predecessor to the CSX.
Van Dorn Street station is a Washington Metro station straddling the boundary between Fairfax County and the independent city of Alexandria in Virginia, United States. The station’s island platform lies in unincorporated Rose Hill in Fairfax County, while the station’s entrance and parking facilities are in Alexandria. The station was opened on June 15, 1991, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for only the Blue Line, the station is located at South Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Avenue, next to the Capital Beltway. From 1991 to 1997 it was the southwestern terminus of the Blue Line.
The Northern Virginia region is served by numerous mediums of transit. Transportation in the region is overseen by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.
Amtrak Virginia is the collective name for Virginia's state-supported Amtrak train service, all of which falls under the Northeast Regional brand. Amtrak Virginia trains run between Washington, D.C., and one of four southern termini: Richmond, Newport News, Norfolk, or Roanoke. Trains generally continue north from D.C. along the Northeast Corridor, providing one-seat rides from Virginia to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.
Media related to Crystal City station (VRE) at Wikimedia Commons