Announcement follows two weeks of progress by the Airports Authority and their contractor to resolve open work items. D.C. Metro GM/CEO Richard Sarles noted that there are still remaining items — such as obtaining Certificates of Occupancy — that are expected to be resolved prior to the opening date.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) announced that the opening date for its new Silver Line service as Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles announced the opening date for Silver Line service as Saturday, July 26.
“The five new Silver Line stations will open to customers at noon, and the first Silver Line train will depart Wiehle-Reston East, bound for Largo Town Center, at that time,” Metro GM/CEO Richard Sarles said.
The announcement of an opening date follows two weeks of progress by the Airports Authority and their contractor to resolve open work items. Sarles noted that there are still remaining items — such as obtaining Certificates of Occupancy — that are expected to be resolved prior to the opening date.
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Silver Line trains will operate between Reston and Largo at the same frequency as most other lines. During rush hours, trains will run every 6 minutes; at off-peak times, trains will run every 12 to 20 minutes. Five new stations will be added to the system: McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East.
To finalize employee familiarization and confirm schedules, Metro plans to conduct a week of “simulated service,” starting Sunday, July 20. During the service simulation, Silver Line trains will run on the system without carrying passengers to or from the five new stations. However, the “simulation” trains will carry passengers between East Falls Church and Largo Town Center.
As a result of Silver Line service, riders at stations from East Falls Church to Court House will see trains arrive more frequently at all times, and riders from Rosslyn to Stadium-Armory will notice more frequent service outside rush hours. On the Blue Line, trains will operate every 12 minutes at all times of the day, and during rush hours, trains at Vienna, Dunn Loring and West Falls Church, will arrive and depart every 6 minutes.
Riders can check fares and travel times, get station information and learn more about the project by visiting silverlinemetro.com.
Metro took control of the first phase of the Silver Line less than a month ago, on May 27. The milestone, known as the "Operational Readiness Date" (ORD), marked the point where care and control of the line was formally transferred from the Airports Authority to Metro.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
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