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Franconia–Springfield station

Coordinates: 38°45′58″N 77°10′07″W / 38.76611°N 77.16861°W / 38.76611; -77.16861
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Washington Metro platform in June 2008
General information
Location6880 Frontier Drive
Springfield, Virginia
United States
Coordinates38°45′58″N 77°10′07″W / 38.76611°N 77.16861°W / 38.76611; -77.16861
Owned byWMATA
Platforms1 island platform (Metro)
2 side platforms (VRE)
Tracks4 (2 for each service)
Bus stands8
Bus operatorsBus transport Fairfax Connector: 171, 231, 232, 301, 303, 304, 305, 310, 321, 322, 331, 332, 380, 401
Bus transport Metrobus: 18R, 18S, S90, S91
Bus transport PRTC OmniRide: Prince William Metro Direct
Bus transport Greyhound
Bus transport Best Bus
Construction
Parking5,069 spaces
Bicycle facilities36 racks, 20 lockers
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeJ03 (WMATA)
Fare zoneZone 3 (VREX)
History
OpenedJune 29, 1997; 27 years ago (1997-06-29)[1]
Passengers
20157771 daily [2]Decrease 4.94% (WMATA)
Services
Preceding station   WMATA   Following station
Terminus
Ashburn
Loudoun Gateway
Dulles Yard
Dulles International Airport Dulles International Airport
Innovation Center
Herndon
Reston Town Center
Wiehle–Reston East
Shady Grove Yard
Spring Hill
Shady Grove
Greensboro
Rockville
Capitol Limited
Twinbrook
Tysons
McLean
North Bethesda
Vienna
Grosvenor–Strathmore
Dunn Loring
Glenmont Yard
Medical Center
Glenmont
Falls Church Yard
Greenbelt Yard
West Falls Church
Greenbelt
Greenbelt–BWI Airport Line
East Falls Church
Wheaton
Ballston–MU
College Park
Bethesda
Forest Glen
Virginia Square–GMU
Hyattsville Crossing
Friendship Heights
Silver Spring
Tenleytown–AU
West Hyattsville
Clarendon
Takoma
Van Ness–UDC
Fort Totten
Court House
Georgia Avenue–Petworth
Cleveland Park
Columbia Heights
Woodley Park
Brookland–CUA
Dupont Circle
Rhode Island Avenue
Rosslyn
Brentwood Yard
Foggy Bottom–GWU
NoMa–Gallaudet U
Farragut North
Union Station
DC StreetcarVirginia Railway ExpressAmtrak
Farragut West
U Street
Shaw–Howard University
Arlington Cemetery
Mount Vernon Square
McPherson Square
Judiciary Square
Metro Center
Gallery Place
Federal Triangle
Smithsonian
Archives
L'Enfant Plaza
Federal Center SW
Waterfront
Capitol South
Navy Yard–Ballpark
Eastern Market
Anacostia
Potomac Avenue
Congress Heights
Stadium–Armory
Pentagon
Pentagon City
Minnesota Avenue
Virginia Railway Express Crystal City
Benning Road
Southern Avenue
Deanwood
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport National Airport
Cheverly
Naylor Road
Capitol Heights
Suitland
Addison Road
Branch Avenue
Landover
Branch Avenue Yard
New Carrollton
Amtrak
Potomac Yard
Morgan Boulevard
Braddock Road
New Carrollton Yard
Virginia Railway Express King Street–Old Town
Downtown Largo
Alexandria Yard
Van Dorn Street
Eisenhower Avenue
Virginia Railway Express
Franconia–Springfield
Huntington
Key
Red Line
Green Line
Orange Line
Yellow Line
Blue Line
Silver Line
Multiple services
Non-revenue tracks

Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
Ashburn
Loudoun Gateway
Dulles Yard
Dulles International Airport Dulles International Airport
Innovation Center
Herndon
Reston Town Center
Wiehle–Reston East
Shady Grove Yard
Spring Hill
Shady Grove
Greensboro
Rockville
Capitol Limited
Twinbrook
Tysons
McLean
North Bethesda
Vienna
Grosvenor–Strathmore
Dunn Loring
Glenmont Yard
Medical Center
Glenmont
Falls Church Yard
Greenbelt Yard
West Falls Church
Greenbelt
Greenbelt–BWI Airport Line
East Falls Church
Wheaton
Ballston–MU
College Park
Bethesda
Forest Glen
Virginia Square–GMU
Hyattsville Crossing
Friendship Heights
Silver Spring
Tenleytown–AU
West Hyattsville
Clarendon
Takoma
Van Ness–UDC
Fort Totten
Court House
Georgia Avenue–Petworth
Cleveland Park
Columbia Heights
Woodley Park
Brookland–CUA
Dupont Circle
Rhode Island Avenue
Rosslyn
Brentwood Yard
Foggy Bottom–GWU
NoMa–Gallaudet U
Farragut North
Union Station
DC StreetcarVirginia Railway ExpressAmtrak
Farragut West
U Street
Shaw–Howard University
Arlington Cemetery
Mount Vernon Square
McPherson Square
Judiciary Square
Metro Center
Gallery Place
Federal Triangle
Smithsonian
Archives
L'Enfant Plaza
Federal Center SW
Waterfront
Capitol South
Navy Yard–Ballpark
Eastern Market
Anacostia
Potomac Avenue
Congress Heights
Stadium–Armory
Pentagon
Pentagon City
Minnesota Avenue
Virginia Railway Express Crystal City
Benning Road
Southern Avenue
Deanwood
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport National Airport
Cheverly
Naylor Road
Capitol Heights
Suitland
Addison Road
Branch Avenue
Landover
Branch Avenue Yard
New Carrollton
Amtrak
Potomac Yard
Morgan Boulevard
Braddock Road
New Carrollton Yard
Virginia Railway Express King Street–Old Town
Downtown Largo
Alexandria Yard
Van Dorn Street
Eisenhower Avenue
Virginia Railway Express
Franconia–Springfield
Huntington
Key
Red Line
Green Line
Orange Line
Yellow Line
Blue Line
Silver Line
Multiple services
Non-revenue tracks

Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
Greenbelt-Franconia-Springfield weekdays rush hours service
VREX
Template:VREX lines
  Former services  
Amtrak
Template:Amtrak lines

Franconia–Springfield is an island platformed Washington Metro station in Springfield, Virginia, United States. The station was opened on June 29, 1997, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue Line, it is the southwestern terminus of the Blue Line, and is located at the junction of Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Frontier Drive. The station serves a suburban area and is mostly used for commuters, with 5,069 spaces – Metro's largest parking garage. It is a major transit hub, providing not only Metro service, but also Virginia Railway Express, Metrobus, and local and intercity bus service, including Greyhound buses. It also served as an Amtrak station for the Northeast Regional line between 2003 and 2010. Amtrak's code for the station was "FRS."

With 7,771 daily riders by a 2015 count, Franconia–Springfield station is the 9th-most used WMATA Metro station in Virginia.[2]

History

A VRE train pulling in to Franconia–Springfield VRE station

Prior to construction by WMATA, Franconia–Springfield station was the site of Franconia Station, a standard railroad station built by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. It was built in 1870 and torn down in 1952.[3] Original Metro plans called for 2 separate stations for Franconia and Springfield, but by the time Metro got to building the station, plans had been changed to combine the 2 stations due to the expense and complications of running 2 separate branch lines to the two towns, as it would have required adding an entirely new "color service".[citation needed]

In 1981, WMATA held a series of public hearings to discuss issues related to the expansion of the then Yellow Line to Springfield by 1986, although the project was unfunded at that time.[4] By 1987, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission began to evaluate whether or not state funding would be necessary to complete the station as federal funding was not guaranteed at that time.[5] By 1991, funding for the expansion was secured and plans for the station, parking garage, and other commuter facilities were approved by the Metro board.[6]

The VRE platform opened in 1995, the second infill station on the system.[7] The Metrorail station opened on June 29, 1997; its opening coincided with the completion of 3.3 miles (5.3 km) of rail west of the Van Dorn Street station.[8][1] The final cost for both the station and rail expansion was $175 million.[9]

In 2003, due to increases in ridership on both the Metro and VRE lines, WMATA opened an additional parking garage on the premises for park-and-ride users, offering an additional 1,000 parking spaces, and bringing the total to 5,100 spaces.[10]

Station layout

P
Platform level
Northbound toward Largo Town Center ( toward Greenbelt) (Van Dorn Street)
Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
Northbound toward Largo Town Center ( toward Greenbelt) (Van Dorn Street)
M Mezzanine One-way faregates, ticket machines, station agent
G Street Level Exit/Entrance, VRE platform

References

  1. ^ a b Tousignant, Marylou (June 27, 1997). "At last, Metro reaches end of the Blue Line; Franconia-Springfield station to begin service on Sunday". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  2. ^ a b "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  3. ^ Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac (TrainWeb)
  4. ^ Hodge, Paul (February 26, 1981). "Public hearing set on Springfield Metrorail plans". The Washington Post. p. VA7.
  5. ^ Henderson, Nell (January 11, 1987). "Virginia panel to study extending Metro; State funds may be sought to finance Yellow Line to Springfield". The Washington Post. p. B5.
  6. ^ Fehr, Stephen C. (June 14, 1991). "Metro plans to build big transportation center at Franconia". The Washington Post. p. C3.
  7. ^ Taube, Richard K. (11 August 2008). "Chronology of the Virginia Railway Express: 1964 to Present" (PDF). Virginia Railway Express. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  8. ^ Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (July 2009). "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  9. ^ Shear, Michael D. (June 30, 1997). "All aboard Metro at Springfield; Fanfare, new features mark station opening". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  10. ^ Metro opens new parking structure at Franconia-Springfield Metrorail station