Riders will take the first trip on the long-awaited first phase of the Silver Line on July 26, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced Monday.
The Foggy Bottom station, now on the Blue and Orange lines, will also be a stop on the Silver Line. The new service will allow trains to arrive more frequently at stations from East Falls Church to Court House, while riders will notice faster service from Rosslyn to Stadium-Armory, except during rush hours, WMATA’s chief executive officer Richard Sarles announced in a release.
The first train will leave the new Wiehle-Reston East station at noon and run toward Largo Town Center, according to the release. Trains will depart every six minutes during rush hours and every 12 to 20 minutes during off-peak times, similar to most lines.
The line adds five stations to the Metrorail system, including one at Tysons Corner, the area’s largest shopping mall. The other stops are McLean, Greensboro, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East.
The opening date comes about one month earlier than WMATA anticipated. It expects to complete the second phase of the Silver Line in 2018, giving passengers access to Dulles International Airport.