WMATA has announced that long-awaited service of Metro to Dulles Airport and Loudoun County, Virginia will begin November 15th.
“I’m very pleased we finally have a date that Metro rail will initiate operations in Loudoun. Metro rail to Dulles Airport and beyond will be pivotal to developing Loudoun’s emerging Urban Policy Area, providing high paying employment opportunities and diverse housing options. In addition, Metro will allow citizens throughout the Washington Capital Region to explore and experience all the amenities and recreation Loudoun has to offer”, said Loudoun County Chair at Large, Phyllis Randall. “Metro offers a transit option for Federal Government employees and others allowing them to leave the car at home and not contend with heavy commuter traffic.”
Opening day is set for the Silver Line Extension on Tuesday, November 15, connecting WMATA Metrorail customers to Washington Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County for the first time. The extension completes the final phase of the full 23-mile expansion that began construction in 2009, opening the first segment five years later. This final segment provides a long-awaited connection to Washington Dulles International Airport giving area residents a direct connection to destinations around the globe.
“The arrival of metro is the key that opens up unprecedented opportunity in Loudoun County. With greenfield developments planned at Innovation Station, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn Station, Loudoun County is set to add millions of square feet of class A office, retail, and entertainment as well has hundreds of new homes for workers of all income levels”, said Buddy Rizer, Executive Director of Loudoun County’s Department of Economic Development. “These developments provide us the next phase of what’s #LoudounPossible in our community.”
Ashburn Station
Loudoun Station – 1,500 multifamily units, 1.1 M sq. ft. commercial mixed use
Silver District West – 3,706 residential units, 980K sq. ft. office/retail
Gramercy District – 590 multifamily units, 765K sq. ft. commercial mixed-use
Moorefield – 6,000 residential units, 9.75 M sq. ft. commercial mixed-use
Loudoun Gateway Station
Loudoun Gateway – 281 acres with multimodal access providing opportunities for mixed-use, retail, and special activity
Innovation Station
Rivana – 1,954 multifamily units, 1.8 M sq. ft. Class A office, 185K sq. ft. retail village, 265-room full-service hotel; total of 4.4 M sq. ft. mixed-use
Waterside – 2,595 residential units, 3.4 M sq. ft. commercial mixed-use
Dulles District Supervisor and WMATA Board of Directors member Matt Letourneau added, “I’m excited that at long last Metro will be serving Loudoun County. With it will come opportunities to diversify our economy and provide new options to residents and commuters. I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into planning and constructing the Silver Line and look forward to the opening ceremony in two weeks.”
On opening day, customers who visit the six new Silver Line stations – Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway, and Ashburn – will be greeted by Metro teams handing out commemorative pennants, a Metro tradition that started when the first station opened in 1976.
