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Franconia–Springfield station

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Franconia–Springfield
WMATA Blue.svg
Franc-Springd platform, inbound end.jpg
Metro trains at Franconia-Springfield in 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; -77.16861Coordinates: 38°45′58″N 77°10′07″W / 38.76611°N 77.16861°W / 38.76611; -77.16861
Owned byWMATA
Line(s)RF&P Subdivision
Platforms1 island platform (Metro)
2 side platforms (VRE)
Tracks4 (2 for each service)
Bus stands8
ConnectionsBus transport Fairfax Connector: 231, 232, 301, 305, 308, 310, 321, 322, 334, 335, 340, 341, 350, 351, 371, 372, 373, 401, 402, 494
Bus transport OmniRide: Prince William Metro Express
Bus transport Greyhound
Bus transport BestBus
Construction
Parking5,069 spaces
Bicycle facilities36 racks, 20 lockers
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeJ03 (WMATA)
Fare zoneZone 3 (VRE)
History
Opened1995 (VRE)
June 29, 1997 (1997-Jun-29) (Metro)[1]
Rebuilt2019 (Metro)
Passengers
20221,474 daily[2] (Metro)
Rank53rd (Metro)
Services
Preceding station Virginia Railway Express.svg Virginia Railway Express Following station
Lorton
toward Spotsylvania
 Fredericksburg Line Alexandria
toward Washington, D.C.
Preceding station WMATA Metro Logo.svg Washington Metro Following station
Terminus Blue Line
Plus
 Van Dorn Street
toward Downtown Largo
Former services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Quantico
toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke
 Northeast Regional Alexandria
toward Boston South or Springfield
Preceding station Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Following station
Accotin
toward Richmond: Broad Street or Main Street
 Main Line Alexandria
toward Washington, D.C.
Location
Map

Franconia–Springfield is a Washington Metro rapid transit station and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail station located in Springfield, Virginia, United States. The station is the southwestern terminus of the Metro Blue Line and an intermediate station on the VRE Fredericksburg Line. It is also a major bus terminal for Fairfax Connector buses, plus other local and intercity bus routes. The station has one island-platform serving the two Metro tracks, plus two side platforms serving the RF&P Subdivision on which the Fredericksburg Line runs.

Located in a suburban area near I-95, the station is primarily used by commuters from more distant suburbs. Its parking garage is the largest on the Metro system, with 5,069 spaces. With 6,970 average daily riders by a May 2016 count, Franconia–Springfield was the 8th-most-used Metro station in Virginia.[3]

The VRE stop opened in 1995, followed by the Metro station on June 29, 1997. From 2003 to 2010, the station was also served by Amtrak Northeast Regional intercity rail trains.

Discover more about Franconia–Springfield station related topics

Rapid transit

Rapid transit

Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be called a subway, tube, or underground. Unlike buses or trams, rapid transit systems are railways, usually electric, that operate on an exclusive right-of-way, which cannot be accessed by pedestrians or other vehicles. They are often grade-separated in tunnels or on elevated railways.

Virginia Railway Express

Virginia Railway Express

Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is a commuter rail service that connects outlying small cities of Northern Virginia to Union Station in Washington, D.C. It operates two lines which run during weekday rush hour only: the Fredericksburg Line from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the Manassas Line from Broad Run station in Bristow, Virginia. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 530,700, or about 5,600 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2022.

Commuter rail

Commuter rail

Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Commuter rail systems are considered heavy rail, using electrified or diesel trains. Distance charges or zone pricing may be used.

Springfield, Virginia

Springfield, Virginia

Springfield is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs including North Springfield, West Springfield, and Newington are usually given a Springfield mailing address. The population of the collective areas with Springfield addresses is estimated to exceed 100,000. The CDP is a part of Northern Virginia, the most populous region of the Washington Metropolitan Area.

Blue Line (Washington Metro)

Blue Line (Washington Metro)

The Blue Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 27 stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia; the District of Columbia; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Blue Line runs from Franconia–Springfield to Downtown Largo. The line shares tracks with the Orange Line for 13 stations, the Silver Line for 18, and the Yellow Line for six. Only three stations are exclusive to the Blue Line.

Fredericksburg Line

Fredericksburg Line

The Fredericksburg Line is a commuter rail line operated by Virginia Railway Express between Washington, D.C. and Fredericksburg, VA. Virginia Railway Express operates 7 weekday trains, and Amtrak trains serve a few of the stations on the line. Trackage is owned by CSX as part of their RF&P Subdivision.

Fairfax Connector

Fairfax Connector

Fairfax Connector is a public bus service provided by Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, and is managed by the county government. The bus system provides service within Fairfax County, and connects to Metrobus, Metrorail stations, Virginia Railway Express, and other local bus systems. Fairfax Connector serves all of Fairfax Metrorail Stations, the city of Alexandria, the city of Fairfax, the Washington Dulles International Airport, and the Pentagon Metrorail station. In 2021, the system had a ridership of 4,851,200, or about 26,400 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2022.

Side platform

Side platform

A side platform is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, one for each direction of travel, is the basic design used for double-track railway lines. Side platforms may result in a wider overall footprint for the station compared with an island platform where a single width of platform can be shared by riders using either track.

RF&P Subdivision

RF&P Subdivision

The RF&P Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation. It runs from Washington, D.C., to Richmond, Virginia, over lines previously owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. The line's name pays homage to that railroad, which was a predecessor to the CSX.

Interstate 95

Interstate 95

Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The highway largely parallels the Atlantic coast and US 1, except for the portion between Savannah, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., and the portion between Portland and Houlton in Maine, both of which follow a more direct inland route.

Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak, is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. Amtrak is a portmanteau of the words America and trak, the latter itself a sensational spelling of track.

Northeast Regional

Northeast Regional

The Northeast Regional is an intercity rail service operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. In the past it has been known as the NortheastDirect, Acela Regional, or Regional. It is Amtrak's busiest route, carrying 8,686,930 passengers in fiscal year (FY) 2018, a 1.4% increase over the 8.57 million passengers in FY 2017. The Northeast Regional service earned over $613.9 million in gross ticket revenue in FY 2016, a 0.4% increase over the $611.7 million earned during FY 2015.

History

A VRE train pulling in to Franconia–Springfield VRE station
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 demolished in 1952.[4] Original Metro plans called for separate stations for Franconia and Springfield, but before 1979 – due to the expense and complications of running separate branches – plans had changed to combine the two stations into one. In 1979 the "Franconia" station was renamed "Franconia-Springfield".[5]

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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8]

The VRE platform opened in 1995, the second infill station on the system.[9] 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.[10][1] The final cost for both the station and rail expansion was $175 million.[11]

On October 10, 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.[12]

On June 25, 2017, Yellow Line trains stopped serving the station due to the elimination of Rush+, which is part of major changes to the Metrorail system.[13]

In May 2018, Metro announced an extensive renovation of platforms at twenty stations across the system. The Blue and Yellow Lines south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station, including the Franconia–Springfield station, would be closed from May to September 2019. The platforms at this station would then be rebuilt starting in fall 2019.[14][15]

Between September 10 and November 5, 2022, Franconia-Springfield was closed due to the Potomac Yard station tie-in, closing all stations south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station. Shuttle buses were provided throughout the shutdown.[16]

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Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad

Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad

The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. The track is now the RF&P Subdivision of the CSX Transportation system; the original corporation is no longer a railroad company.

Northern Virginia Transportation Commission

Northern Virginia Transportation Commission

The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is an independent agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia to promote and improve transportation. It covers the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and the Cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax. NVTC manages the Northern Virginia Transportation District. That District was created by the 1964 Acts of Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, chapter 630; and the Transportation District Act.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station is a Washington Metro station in Arlington, Virginia on the Blue and Yellow Lines. The station platform is elevated and covered and is the last above-ground station on the Yellow Line in Virginia, heading into Washington, D.C. It is one of only two stations in the system to have three tracks. The station is located across Smith Boulevard from Terminal 2 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; the mezzanine is directly connected to Level 2 of the terminal by two pedestrian bridges. Airport shuttle buses or a walkway connect the station and Terminal 1. The airport's Abingdon Plantation historical site is near the station.

Potomac Yard station

Potomac Yard station

Potomac Yard station is a Washington Metro station under construction in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The station will be operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), serving both the Blue and Yellow Lines, and is expected to open in May 2023. The station will be located at Alexandria's planned 7.5-million-square-foot (700,000 m2) Potomac Yard mixed-use development bounded by Richmond Highway and the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Upon its completion, Potomac Yard will be the second infill station to be added to the Washington Metro system, after NoMa–Gallaudet U in 2004. Potomac Yard station is being constructed on the site of Potomac Yard, a former railroad freight yard.

Station layout

The station's mezzanine
The station's mezzanine

Access to the station is provided by an elevated walkway connecting the parking garage and bus bays to the platforms. Blue Line trains stop at an island platform below the elevated walkway, with fare control on the same level as the walkway. VRE trains stop at two side platforms adjacent to the Metro tracks.

M Mezzanine Fare control, ticket machines, station agent, connection between platforms
P
Platform level 		Northbound → WMATA Blue.svg toward Downtown Largo (Van Dorn Street) →
← WMATA Blue.svg termination track
Island platform
Northbound → WMATA Blue.svg toward Downtown Largo (Van Dorn Street) →
← WMATA Blue.svg termination track
Side platform
Track 3 ←      Fredericksburg Line toward Spotsylvania (Lorton)
←      Amtrak services do not stop here
Track 2 →      Amtrak services do not stop here →
→      Fredericksburg Line toward Union Station (Alexandria) →
Side platform
G Street level Exit/entrance, buses, parking

Discover more about Station layout related topics

Island platform

Island platform

An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular on twin-track routes due to pragmatic and cost reasons. They are also useful within larger stations where local and express services for the same direction of travel can be provided from opposite sides of the same platform thereby simplifying transfers between the two tracks. An alternative arrangement is to position side platforms on either side of the tracks. The historical use of island platforms depends greatly upon the location. In the United Kingdom the use of island platforms is relatively common when the railway line is in a cutting or raised on an embankment, as this makes it easier to provide access to the platform without walking across the tracks.

Side platform

Side platform

A side platform is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, one for each direction of travel, is the basic design used for double-track railway lines. Side platforms may result in a wider overall footprint for the station compared with an island platform where a single width of platform can be shared by riders using either track.

Blue Line (Washington Metro)

Blue Line (Washington Metro)

The Blue Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 27 stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia; the District of Columbia; and Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The Blue Line runs from Franconia–Springfield to Downtown Largo. The line shares tracks with the Orange Line for 13 stations, the Silver Line for 18, and the Yellow Line for six. Only three stations are exclusive to the Blue Line.

Downtown Largo station

Downtown Largo station

Downtown Largo is an island-platformed Washington Metro station in Lake Arbor census-designated place, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, with a Largo postal address.

Van Dorn Street station

Van Dorn Street station

Van Dorn Street is a Washington Metro station straddling the boundary between Fairfax County and the independent city of Alexandria in Virginia, United States. The station’s island platform lies in unincorporated Rose Hill in Fairfax County, while the station’s entrance and parking facilities are in Alexandria. The station was opened on June 15, 1991, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue Line, the station is located at South Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Avenue, next to the Capital Beltway. From 1991 to 1997 it was the southwestern terminus of the Blue Line.

Fredericksburg Line

Fredericksburg Line

The Fredericksburg Line is a commuter rail line operated by Virginia Railway Express between Washington, D.C. and Fredericksburg, VA. Virginia Railway Express operates 7 weekday trains, and Amtrak trains serve a few of the stations on the line. Trackage is owned by CSX as part of their RF&P Subdivision.

Spotsylvania station

Spotsylvania station

Spotsylvania is a commuter rail station on the Virginia Railway Express Fredericksburg Line, located off US Route 17 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of downtown Fredericksburg in the unincorporated community of Olive. It opened on November 16, 2015 – the first extension of VRE service since its opening.

Lorton station (VRE)

Lorton station (VRE)

Lorton station is a railroad station located at 8990 Lorton Station Boulevard in Lorton, Virginia. It is served by the Virginia Railway Express Fredericksburg Line. This station is one mile north from Amtrak's Lorton station, the northern terminus of the Auto Train. Amtrak's Northeast Regional, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Palmetto, and Carolinian trains share the line but do not stop at either Lorton station.

Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak, is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. Amtrak is a portmanteau of the words America and trak, the latter itself a sensational spelling of track.

Washington Union Station

Washington Union Station

Washington Union Station is a major train station, transportation hub, and leisure destination in Washington, D.C. Designed by Daniel Burnham and opened in 1907, it is Amtrak's headquarters, the railroad's second-busiest station, and North America's ninth-busiest railroad station. The station is the southern terminus of the Northeast Corridor, an electrified rail line extending north through major cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, and the busiest passenger rail line in the nation. In 2015, it served just under 5 million passengers.

Source: "Franconia–Springfield station", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 14th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franconia–Springfield_station.

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Further Reading

Washington Metro

Blue Line (Washington Metro)

Red Line (Washington Metro)

Yellow Line (Washington Metro)

West Falls Church station

King Street–Old Town station

Eisenhower Avenue station

Huntington station (Washington Metro)

Braddock Road station

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station

L'Enfant Plaza station

New Carrollton station

College Park–University of Maryland station

Greenbelt station

Alexandria Union Station

Transportation in Washington, D.C.

Fredericksburg Line

Metroway
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. ^ "Rail Ridership Data Viewer". WMATA. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  4. ^ "Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac". TrainWeb.
  5. ^ Eisen, Jack (August 7, 1979). "Zoological Park Subway Stop Name, 9 Others Changed by Metro Board". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ Hodge, Paul (February 26, 1981). "Public hearing set on Springfield Metrorail plans". The Washington Post. p. VA7.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Fehr, Stephen C. (June 14, 1991). "Metro plans to build big transportation center at Franconia". The Washington Post. p. C3.
  9. ^ Taube, Richard K. (August 11, 2008). "Chronology of the Virginia Railway Express: 1964 to Present" (PDF). Virginia Railway Express. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  10. ^ "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). WMATA. 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  11. ^ Shear, Michael D. (June 30, 1997). "All aboard Metro at Springfield; Fanfare, new features mark station opening". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  12. ^ "Metro opens new parking structure at Franconia–Springfield Metrorail station" (Press release). April 1, 2018. October 9, 2003.
  13. ^ "June 25 Fare Service Changes Printable Brochure" (PDF). WMATA. 2017.
  14. ^ "Metro wants to rebuild 20 station platforms over three years, creating SafeTrack-like disruptions". Washington Post. May 7, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  15. ^ "Metro plans 'summer shutdown' on Blue, Yellow lines next year". WTOP. May 7, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  16. ^ "Metro announces travel alternatives for major Blue and Yellow Line construction this fall | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
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