WASHINGTON, DC (WMATA) METRORAIL

By Wayne Whitehorne

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail system is an intraurban Rapid transit system which consists of five lines, and 86 stations. It covers 106 route miles. Ground breaking for the system was broken in 1969 and revenue service began between DuPont Circle and Rhode Island Avenue in 1976. Metrorail is the second-largest transit system in the United States (only New York’s larger), with an annual ridership in excess of 200 million riders per year.

The five routes are designated by colors – Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue and Green. A sixth route, to be designated as the "Silver Line" is planned to open in the mid 2010’s. With the exception of the Yellow line, the five lines all traverse the District – beginning and ending in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. There is no ‘express’ service – all routes are two tracks – and in the District proper the stations are generally spaced from a half-mile to a mile apart – closer in the center city and further apart in the suburbs.

Rolling stock is comprised of a fleet of approximately 1000 75-foot cars, delivered from four Manufacturers in six batches:

1000 series Rohr (1976-1977)1000-1299

2000 series Breda (1982)2000-2075

3000 series Breda (1985) 3000-3291

4000 series Breda (1991) 4000-4099

5000 series CAF (2000) 5000-5191

6000 series Alstom (2005) 6000-

Stock out of service: 1029, 1076, 1077, 1086, 3191, 3252, 4018*, 5152, 5153

(* later returned to service after body repair)

Stock renumbered: 3290 (ex.3190), 3291 (ex.3253)

Stock in work service: 1028, 1087, 1114, 1115, 8000, 8001, 8002, 8003

Routes and terminals

Red line  Shady Grove – Glenmont

Grosvenor/Strathmore – Silver Spring

Yellow line Mt Vernon Square-7 Street-Convention Center – Huntington
(Fort Totten – Huntington, weekends and off peak)

Green line Greenbelt – Branch Avenue

Blue line Largo Town Center – Franconia/Springfield

Orange line New Carrollton – Vienna/Fairfax

Silver line First phase  Stadium/Armory – Wiehle Avenue  

Some Metrorail facts: