Dulles International Airport station

Last updated

Washington Dulles
International Airport  20 airtransportation inv.svg
WMATA Silver.svg
Dulles Airport Station Platform 1115.jpg
Washington Dulles International Airport station platform on opening day, November 15, 2022.
General information
Location44920 Saarinen Circle
Dulles, Virginia
Coordinates 38°57′21″N77°26′52″W / 38.95583°N 77.44778°W / 38.95583; -77.44778
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsAiga bus trans.svg Fairfax Connector: 952, 983
Construction
Structure typeElevated
ParkingPaid parking nearby
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeN10
History
OpenedNovember 15, 2022;23 months ago (2022-11-15)
Passengers
20231,652 daily [1]
Rank64 out of 98
Services
Preceding station WMATA Metro Logo small.svg Washington Metro Following station
Loudoun Gateway
toward Ashburn
Silver Line Innovation Center
toward Downtown Largo
Location
Dulles International Airport station

Washington Dulles International Airport station (commonly Dulles International Airport station or Dulles Airport station) is a Washington Metro station at Dulles International Airport in Loudoun County, Virginia, U.S., on the Silver Line. After years of delays, [2] [3] [4] the station opened on November 15, 2022. The station was originally planned to be underground [2] but was built as an above-ground station next to daily parking garage 1. [5]

Contents

The station is connected to the terminal building using the existing pedestrian tunnel which connects the hourly and daily parking lots and parking garage 1 to the baggage claim level of the airport terminal; the tunnel is equipped with moving sidewalks.

History

A Washington Metro station had been considered for Dulles since at least 1969. A 1971 engineering study suggested an underground station, with the top of the rail 28 feet (8.5 m) below a parking lot. [6] [7] Formal plans were not made until 2002, with the first phase of the project commencing in 2004.

The Silver Line was developed in the 21st century to link Washington, D.C., by rail to Washington Dulles International Airport and the edge cities of Tysons, Reston, Herndon, and Ashburn. [8] It was built in two phases; the first phase, linking Washington, D.C., to Wiehle–Reston East, opened in 2014. [9]

Construction

The Dulles Metro Station under construction in November 2013. Dulles Metro Station.jpg
The Dulles Metro Station under construction in November 2013.

The funding and planning of Phase 2 through Dulles Airport continued while Phase 1 was being constructed. On April 6, 2011, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) board voted 9–4 to build an underground station 550 feet (170 m) away from the terminal, rather than an above-ground station 1,150 feet (350 m) away from the terminal, at an additional cost of $330 million. Construction of the underground station would have extended its expected opening to mid-2017. [10] However, on July 20, 2011, the MWAA board reversed its previous vote and approved an above-ground station due to pressure from state and local officials to reduce overall project costs. [11] In 2012, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted 5 to 4 to extend the line to Dulles Airport and into the county. [12]

On April 25, 2013, the Phase 2 contract was issued at a cost of $1.177 billion. [13] The originally planned single-side platform station would not meet current Metro specifications for a center platform, which is necessary since current plans would extend service beyond the airport to western suburbs. Plans for an above-ground facility drew concerns from the Virginia Historic Preservation Office regarding the visual impact on the Eero Saarinen-designed terminal. Consultants estimated that an above-ground station would save $640 million in construction costs. [14] The pedestrian tunnel connecting the terminal and daily and hourly lots to parking garage 1 was closed in January 2016 in order to reconfigure that tunnel section to accommodate the future Metro station entrance. [2] The pedestrian tunnel was reopened in November 2018. [15]

Opening

In April 2015, project officials pushed back the opening date for the station to late 2019, stating that stricter requirements for stormwater management caused much of the delay. Per officials, the line also had to incorporate improvements to the system's automated train controls that were a late addition to the project's first phase. [16] In August 2019, project officials reported that they expected construction on the second phase of the Silver Line to be completed by mid-2020. [17] The opening date was postponed to early 2021, [18] then to late 2021. [19] In February 2021, Metro announced that it would need five months to test the Phase 2 extension. [20] [21] The MWAA then announced that the Phase 2 extension should be substantially complete by Labor Day 2021, [22] although MWAA subsequently missed this deadline. [23]

MWAA declared the work on the rail line to be "substantially complete" in November 2021. However, WMATA estimated that it could take five months of testing and other preparations before passenger service could begin. [24] Simulated service testing began operating along the Phase 2 tracks in October 2022. [25] [26] [27] Phase 2 formally opened on November 15, 2022. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Metro</span> Rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area

The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates the Metrobus service under the Metro name. Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 98 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Line (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro rapid transit line

The Blue Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 28 stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Blue Line runs from Franconia–Springfield to Largo. The line shares track with the Orange Line for 13 stations, the Silver Line for 18, and the Yellow Line for six on the same segment and seven altogether. Only three stations are exclusive to the Blue Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange Line (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro rapid transit line

The Orange Line is one of the six rapid transit lines of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 26 stations in Fairfax County and Arlington in Northern Virginia; Washington, D.C.; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Orange Line runs from Vienna in Virginia to New Carrollton in Maryland. Half of the line's stations are shared with the Blue Line and over two thirds are shared with the Silver Line. Orange Line service began on November 20, 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro rapid transit line

The Red Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 27 stations in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is a primary line through downtown Washington and the oldest and busiest line in the system. It forms a long, narrow "U," capped by its terminal stations at Shady Grove and Glenmont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Falls Church station</span> Washington Metro station

West Falls Church station is a Washington Metro station in Idylwood, Virginia on the Orange Line, the first station inside the Capital Beltway on the Orange Line going east. It is one of only two stations in the system to have three tracks, the other being the National Airport station. The center track is used for storage and relaying trains to the adjacent Falls Church Yard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Falls Church station</span> Washington Metro station

East Falls Church station is an island platformed Washington Metro station in Arlington County, Virginia, on the Orange and Silver Lines. East Falls Church station is the last aboveground, at-grade, or open-cut station for eastbound trains until Minnesota Avenue. East of this station, the trains enter tunnels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntington station (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro station

Huntington station is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in the Huntington area of Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The station was opened on December 17, 1983, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Serving as the southern terminus for the Yellow Line, the station is built into a hillside; the south mezzanine, along with escalator access, is accessible via an incline elevator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stadium–Armory station</span> Washington Metro station

Stadium–Armory station is a Washington Metro station in Southeast, Washington, D.C. It is located at the border of the Barney Circle and Kingman Park neighborhoods. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Stadium–Armory serves the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Avenue station</span> Washington Metro station

Minnesota Avenue station is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in the Central Northeast/Mahaning Heights neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., United States. The station was opened on November 20, 1978, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheverly station</span> Washington Metro station

Cheverly station is a side-platformed Washington Metro station in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on November 20, 1978, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Orange Line, the station is the first station going east in Maryland on the Orange Line. The station is in the residential area of Cheverly at Columbia Park Road near U.S. Route 50. It is a commuter station with 530 parking spaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Line (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro rapid transit line

The Silver Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 34 stations in Loudoun County, Fairfax County and Arlington County, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland. The Silver Line runs from Ashburn in Virginia to Downtown Largo in Maryland. Five stations, from both lines' eastern terminus at Downtown Largo to Benning Road, are shared with the Blue Line alone; thirteen stations, from Stadium–Armory to Rosslyn, with both the Orange Line and Blue Lines; and five stations from Court House to East Falls Church with the Orange Line alone. Only the five stations of Phase 1, which began service on July 26, 2014, and the six stations of Phase 2, which began service on November 15, 2022, are exclusive to the Silver Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tysons station</span> Washington Metro station

Tysons station is a rapid transit station on the Silver Line of the Washington Metro in Tysons, Virginia. One of four Metro stations in Tysons, it is one of the five stations comprising the first phase of the Silver Line. It opened as Tysons Corner on July 26, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensboro station (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro station

Greensboro station is a Washington Metro station in Tysons, in Fairfax County, Virginia, on the Silver Line. It opened on July 26, 2014, as part of phase 1 of the Silver Line. Greensboro is one of four Metro stations in the Tysons area and is to be part of the massive regeneration of the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiehle–Reston East station</span> Washington Metro station

Wiehle–Reston East station is a Washington Metro station in Fairfax County, Virginia on the Silver Line. Located in Reston, the station is situated alongside Reston Station, a mixed-use urban center. Upon its opening, Wiehle–Reston East was the western terminus of the Silver Line with a pocket track just beyond the station for reversing trains until November 15, 2022, when service was extended to the new westernmost terminus at Ashburn station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reston Town Center station</span> Washington Metro station

Reston Town Center station is a rapid transit station on the Silver Line of the Washington Metro in Reston, an unincorporated area in Northern Virginia. It opened on November 15, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herndon station</span> Washington Metro station

Herndon station is a Washington Metro station in Fairfax County, Virginia on the Silver Line that opened on November 15, 2022. The station is in the median strip of VA-267 adjacent to the current Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride parking garage and bus station, which is on the south side of the highway. It has two pedestrian bridges across SR 267 to reach entrances on either side of the highway. Bus bays are located on the south side of the highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Innovation Center station</span> Washington Metro station

Innovation Center station is a Washington Metro station in Fairfax County, Virginia on the Silver Line. It is located adjacent to the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology at the intersection of the SR 267 and SR 28 in McNair, near the Fairfax / Loudoun county line. Originally planned to begin operation in 2016, the station opened on November 15, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loudoun Gateway station</span> Washington Metro station

Loudoun Gateway station is a Washington Metro station in Loudoun County, Virginia, on the Silver Line. It is located at SR 606 and the ramps to SR 267. Originally planned to begin operations in 2016, the station opened on November 15, 2022. Loudoun Gateway averaged just 214 daily riders in 2023, replacing Cheverly as the least busy station in the entire Metro system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashburn station (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro station

Ashburn station is a Washington Metro station in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, that serves as the western terminus of the Silver Line. Originally planned to begin operation in 2016, the station opened on November 15, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D.C.–Dulles Line</span>

The D.C.–Dulles Line, designated Route 5A, was a bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) between Washington Dulles International Airport and L'Enfant Plaza station of the Blue, Yellow, Orange, Green and Silver lines of the Washington Metro. The line operated every 30–40 minutes on weekdays and 60 minutes on weekends along the Dulles Toll Road, Interstate 66, Richmond Highway and Interstate 395 between these two locations with no intermediate stops, with the exception of the Herndon–Monroe Park & Ride and Rosslyn station. The trip was approximately 50 minutes long.

References

  1. ↑ "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Dulles Metro: Dulles Station" . Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ Aratani, Lori (April 30, 2015). "Silver Line phase 2: now arriving in 2020". The Washington Post . Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  4. ↑ Smith, Max (August 5, 2019). "Metro's Silver Line extension to Dulles gets tentative opening date". InsideNova. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  5. ↑ Sherfinski, David (July 20, 2011). "Airports board approves above-ground Dulles Metro station". The Washington Times . Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  6. ↑ Day & Zimmermann (1971). Dulles Airport Rapid Transit Service, a Feasibility Study (Report). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Office of High-Speed Ground Transportation. p. 7. OCLC   4365385.
  7. ↑ "Metrorail Track and Structures in Washington, D.C." BelowTheCapital.org. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Silver Line Activation Plan" (PDF). WMATA. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ III, Ashley Halsey; Aratani, Lori; Duggan, Paul (July 26, 2014). "All aboard! Metro's new Silver Line rolls down the tracks for the first time". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  10. ↑ Hosh, Kafia (April 7, 2011). "Dulles to get underground Metro station". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  11. ↑ "Decision Made to Build Dulles Rail Station Above Ground". WRC-TV News. July 20, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  12. ↑ Jacobson Moore, Erika (July 3, 2012). "Loudoun's In: Split Board Backs Silver Line Extension". Leesburg Today Media Services. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Airports Authority Intends to Award Phase 2 Construction Contract to Capital Rail Constructors" (Press release). April 25, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  14. ↑ Kravitz, Derek (November 9, 2010). "Metro stop's location could mar view of Dulles". The Washington Post. p. B5.
  15. ↑ "Dulles Fact Sheet Final". Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. June 19, 2022.
  16. ↑ Goldberg, The Associated Press, Jeff (April 28, 2015). "Final phase of Silver Line to Dulles delayed until 2019". WJLA. Retrieved December 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ Roussey/ABC7, Tom (August 6, 2019). "Airports Authority: Silver Line could be completed by April 2020". WJLA. Retrieved December 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ Roussey (ABC7), Tom (February 20, 2020). "Second phase of Metro Silver Line delayed again, will open spring 2021 at the earliest". WJLA. Retrieved December 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ "Second phase of Metro's Silver Line now expected to be delayed again, to fall 2021". wjla.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Silver Line Phase 2 Update" (PDF). WMATA. February 11, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  21. ↑ Cushman & Wakefield Research (February 3, 2014). "Silver Line". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Silver Line extension expected to be ready for Metro takeover by Labor Day". March 5, 2021.
  23. ↑ "MWAA will miss Labor Day deadline for Silver Line Phase 2, likely pushing back opening". July 2, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Silver Line extension to Dulles inches closer to completion after years of delay". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Simulated service for Silver Line Phase Two to begin next month but opening date uncertain". FFXnow. September 8, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Your new Silver Line stations coming soon with a new Metrorail map". www.wmata.com. WMATA. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Next Phase of Silver Line to Open Soon". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Metro launches Silver Line Extension with opening ceremony; welcomes customers to #RideSilver to six new stations" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. November 15, 2022.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Dulles International Airport station at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.