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Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station

Coordinates: 38°51′11″N 77°02′38″W / 38.852985°N 77.0439°W / 38.852985; -77.0439
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Ronald Reagan Washington
National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station platform in January 2017
General information
Location2400 South Smith Boulevard
Arlington, Virginia
Coordinates38°51′11″N 77°02′38″W / 38.852985°N 77.0439°W / 38.852985; -77.0439
Owned byWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms2 island platforms
Tracks3 (2 in regular service)
Construction
Structure typeElevated
ParkingPaid parking nearby
Bicycle facilitiesCapital Bikeshare, 8 racks
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeC10
History
OpenedJuly 1, 1977; 47 years ago (July 1, 1977)[1]
Rebuilt2003–2004, 2020
Previous namesNational Airport (1977–2001)
Passengers
20234,500 daily[2]
Rank20 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Potomac Yard
toward Franconia–Springfield
 Blue Line Crystal City
toward Downtown Largo
Potomac Yard
toward Huntington
 Yellow Line Crystal City
toward Mount Vernon Square
Location
Map

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 other being West Falls Church). 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 (security checkpoints/gates level) 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.

History

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North bound Yellow Line train at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in August 2018

The station opened on July 1, 1977.[1] Its opening coincided with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km)[3] of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium and the opening of the Arlington Cemetery, Capitol South, Crystal City, Eastern Market, Farragut West, Federal Center SW, Federal Triangle, Foggy Bottom–GWU, L'Enfant Plaza, McPherson Square, Pentagon, Pentagon City, Potomac Avenue, Rosslyn, Smithsonian and Stadium–Armory stations.[4]

When service began on July 1, 1977, it was the southern terminus of the Blue Line. After the Yellow Line extension to Huntington opened on December 17, 1983, the station remained the southern terminus for the Blue Line[5] until the Van Dorn Street station opened in 1991.

During construction of a second canopy at the station, Metro began running trains through the center track even though it had not been constructed for standard operations, and on January 20, 2003, a Blue Line train derailed at the switch. No injuries resulted, but the accident delayed construction by a number of weeks.[6] The center track was originally intended for relaying trains.[1]

In 2014, a train was temporarily parked in the middle track while one of the elevators in the station was repaired, creating a "train bridge" to allow passengers to walk through the train to transfer between directions.[7]

In May 2018, Metro announced an extensive renovation of platforms at twenty stations across the system. The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station served as a temporary southern terminal for the Blue and Yellow Lines from May to September 2019, while the stations south of the National Airport station were closed. The platforms at the National Airport station itself were rebuilt from August to December 2020.[8][9][10]

Between May 25 and September 8, 2019, all trains terminated at this station due to the Platform improvement project which closed stations south of Ronald Reagan Airport.[8][9] Between September 10 until November 5, 2022, all trains also terminated at Ronald Reagan airport due to the Potomac Yard station tie-in, closing all stations south of the station.[11]

Renaming controversy

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The station retained its original name after the airport was renamed in 1998 from "Washington National Airport" to "Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport". In early 2001, a letter signed by 24 members of Congress requested WMATA rename the station to conform. However, according to a Metro policy adopted in 1987, groups seeking to rename a station were required to pay the cost of replacing signs and maps. The Arlington County government, which could have made the change, demurred—the price was estimated at $400,000—and WMATA subsequently declined to rename the station on April 19, 2001.[12] In response, Republican Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia threatened to withhold federal funding from the agency unless the station was renamed.[12] Congress ultimately voted to require the renaming on November 30, 2001.[13] According to then-General Manager Richard A. White, Metro paid to complete the renaming.[14]

Station layout

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The station has two island platforms serving three tracks, with the northbound track not used for regular service while the escalators are closed to the northbound platform.

T
Platform level 		Southbound ← toward Franconia–Springfield (Potomac Yard)
← toward Huntington (Potomac Yard)
Island platform
Center track toward Downtown Largo (Crystal City) →
→ toward Mount Vernon Square (Crystal City) →
Island platform
Northbound No service
S Street level Exit/Entrance; fare gates, ticket machines, station manager,
walkways to Terminal 2, shuttle bus and walkway to Terminal 1

References

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  1. ^ a b c Feaver, Douglas B. (July 1, 1977). "Today, Metro could be U.S. model". The Washington Post. p. A1. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  3. ^ "Sequence of Metrorail openings" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2017. p. 3. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  4. ^ "Metro's newest stations: Where they are, what's nearby", The Washington Post, June 24, 1977
  5. ^ Staff Reporters (December 17, 1983). "Gala opening set for Yellow Line extension". The Washington Post. p. C1.
  6. ^ Layton, Lyndsey (February 27, 2003). "Metro track blamed in derailment – Section not made for regular use". The Washington Post. p. A1.
  7. ^ Aratani, Lori (March 11, 2014). "See Metro's 'Train Bridge'". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Metro wants to rebuild 20 station platforms over three years, creating SafeTrack-like disruptions". Washington Post. May 7, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Metro plans 'summer shutdown' on Blue, Yellow lines next year". WTOP. May 7, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  10. ^ "Platform reconstruction at Reagan National Airport Station to begin August 7 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  11. ^ "Metro announces travel alternatives for major Blue and Yellow Line construction this fall | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Layton, Lyndsey (April 21, 2001). "Riders rail at cost of 'Reagan' Metro stop". The Washington Post. p. B2.
  13. ^ H.R.2299 – Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 (Bill Sec. 345). November 30, 2001. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  14. ^ "LunchTalk Online transcript". June 17, 2005.
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