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Yellow Line (Washington Metro)

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Yellow Line
Northbound Yellow Line train arriving at King Street–Old Town in May 2022
Overview
LocaleFairfax, Alexandria, and Arlington counties, Virginia
Washington, D.C.
Termini
Stations13
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemWashington Metro
Operator(s)WMATA
Rolling stock3000-series, 6000-series, 7000-series
History
OpenedApril 30, 1983; 41 years ago (April 30, 1983)[1]
Technical
Number of tracks2
CharacterAt-grade, elevated, and underground
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄4 in (1,429 mm)
ElectrificationThird rail, 750 V DC
Route map
Map Yellow Line highlighted in yellow
Legend
to Greenbelt
 Mount Vernon Square
Gallery Place
Archives
to Largo
to New Carrollton
Virginia Railway Express L'Enfant
 L'Enfant Plaza
to Branch Avenue
I-395.svg
I-395
Southwest Freeway
14th Street bridges (Potomac River)
DC
VA
Up arrow via Rosslyn
 Pentagon
I-395.svg
I-395
Shirley Highway
 Pentagon City
Crystal City |
Virginia Railway Express
Crystal
City
National Airport
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Four Mile Run
 Potomac Yard
Braddock Road
King Street–Old Town |
Virginia Railway ExpressAmtrak
Alexandria
Union Sta.
RF&P Subdivision
to Richmond
to Franconia–Springfield
 Eisenhower Avenue
I-95.svgI-495.svg I-95 /
I-495
Capital Beltway
Cameron Run
 Huntington
Multiple services sharing track
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
This diagram:
The WMATA system map showing the Yellow Line, which runs from Huntington to Mount Vernon Square

The Yellow Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system that runs between Huntington in Virginia and Mount Vernon Square in Washington, D.C. It consists of 13 stations in Fairfax County, the city of Alexandria, and Arlington County in Virginia, and Washington, D.C.[note 1][3][4][5][6] It is the shortest line in the system, and since its truncation to Mount Vernon Square, it is the only line that does not enter Maryland.

The Yellow Line shares track with the Blue Line between King Street–Old Town and Pentagon and the Green Line between L'Enfant Plaza and Mount Vernon Square. It has only two stations that are not shared by any other lines (Huntington and Eisenhower Avenue) and only two sections of track that are not shared by any other lines – the section south of King Street–Old Town and the section between Pentagon and L'Enfant Plaza, crossing the Potomac River.

On weekdays, trains run every 6 minutes until 9:30PM and every 7.5 minutes afterward. On weekends, trains run every 8 minutes.[7]

History

[edit]

Planning for Metro began with the Mass Transportation Survey in 1955, which attempted to forecast freeway and mass transit systems sufficient to meet the region's needs projected for 1980.[8] In 1959, the study's final report included two rapid transit lines that anticipated downtown Washington subways.[9] Because the plan called for extensive freeway construction within the District of Columbia, alarmed residents lobbied for federal legislation creating a regional transportation agency with a moratorium on freeway construction through July 1, 1962.[10] The new agency, the National Capital Transportation Administration, issued a 1962 Transportation in the National Capital Region report, which did not include the route that became the Yellow Line.[11] A central route under 7th Street in downtown was only added in 1967 primarily to serve the "inner city".[12] In March 1968, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) board approved its 98-mile (158 km) Adopted Regional System (ARS), which included the Yellow Line from Franconia and Backlick Road (in Springfield) to Greenbelt.[13]

While a cut-and-fill tunnel for Yellow Line was built under 7th Street and U Street, street traffic and pedestrian access were difficult.[14] The result was the loss of the traditional retail businesses along the route. The downtown segment of the line was originally projected to open in September 1977.[15] Obtaining approval of the District of Columbia and Prince Georges' County of the exact alignment of the Yellow Line north of U Street delayed construction. Originally, the ARS called for the line to be placed in the median strip of the planned North Central Freeway,.[15] Still, after that road was canceled, the route of the replacement subway tunnel became controversial, resulting in years of expensive delays.[16]

Service on the Yellow Line began on April 30, 1983, adding Archives to the system and linking the two already-built stations of Pentagon and Gallery Place with a bridge across the Potomac River. It was extended beyond National Airport by four stations to Huntington on December 17, 1983, the first station outside the Capital Beltway.[1] When the Green Line link to U Street opened on May 11, 1991, it acted as an extension of the Yellow Line until the southern Green Line branch was completed.[1][14] When Green Line service began, the Yellow Line was truncated at Mount Vernon Square, where a pocket track exists to relay trains.[1]

The Yellow Line was initially planned to follow a slightly different route in Virginia. The plan would have sent Yellow Line trains to Franconia–Springfield, with Blue Line trains serving Huntington. This was changed due to a shortage of rail cars at the time of the completion of the line to Huntington. Because fewer rail cars were required to operate Yellow Line service than would be required to run Blue Line service out to Huntington, the line designations were switched due to the Yellow Line's shorter route. From 1999 to 2008, the Yellow Line operated to Franconia–Springfield on July 4, as part of Metro's special service pattern on that day.[17]

On November 16, 1995, WMATA and the developer of the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria, Virginia, signed an agreement to construct Potomac Yard station between Braddock Road and National Airport.[18]

21st century

[edit]
Yellow Line train arriving at Greenbelt in August 2022

In 2006, Metro board member Jim Graham and Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams proposed re-extending Yellow Line service to Fort Totten or even to Greenbelt. Suburban members of the board initially resisted the proposal. Through a compromise that also increased service on the Red Line, on April 20, 2006, the WMATA board approved a Yellow Line extension to the Fort Totten station during off-peak hours. An 18-month pilot program began on December 31, 2006, at a cost of $5.75 million to the District of Columbia.[19][20] On June 26, 2008, due to the success of the 18-month trial, the Yellow Line was permanently extended to Fort Totten at all times except peak hours.[2]

As part of the Rush Plus initiative trial, additional Yellow Line trains began running between Greenbelt and Franconia-Springfield starting June 18, 2012; these trains were discontinued on June 25, 2017, due to budget cuts.[21] To accommodate platform reconstructions, the Blue and Yellow Lines south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were closed from May 25 to September 8, 2019, in the longest line closure in Metro's history.[22][23] The Yellow Line was extended to Greenbelt at the beginning of the closure and retained after.[24] On May 7, 2023, Yellow Line trains were shortened to Mount Vernon Square at all times being replaced by additional Green Line trains.[25]

From March 26, 2020, until June 28, 2020, trains bypassed Eisenhower Avenue, Archives, Mount Vernon Square, and College Park–University of Maryland stations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[26][27] All stations were reopened beginning on June 28, 2020.[28] Between February 13 and May 13, 2021, additional Yellow Line trains began operating between Mount Vernon Square and Franconia–Springfield at all times, replacing the Blue Line due to it being suspended because of platform reconstruction at Arlington Cemetery and Addison Road.[29] Between May 29 and September 6, 2021, all Yellow Line trains terminated at Mount Vernon Square due to a platform improvement project which closed stations north of Fort Totten.[30]

Yellow Line trains was suspended beginning September 10, 2022, to tie in Potomac Yard station and to rehabilitate the 14th Street Bridge that the Yellow Line operates over. Service was replaced by additional Green Line trains, as well as Blue Line trains that operated between Huntington and New Carrollton stations.[31] The Yellow Line reopened on May 7, 2023, with its northeastern terminus cut back from Greenbelt to Mount Vernon Square.[32][25] Potomac Yard station opened on May 19, 2023.[33] In December 2025, half of Yellow Line trains will be re-extended to Greenbelt.[34]

Route

[edit]
Crossing the Potomac River from Northern Virginia on the Yellow Line with the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial in the background

The southern terminus of the Yellow Line is adjacent to Kings Highway (Virginia State Route 241) in Fairfax County, Virginia.[35] The line heads northeast on a bridge over Hunting Creek and the Capital Beltway to a station just south of Eisenhower Avenue, which serves several government office buildings, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The Yellow Line then merges with the Blue Line and follows the right-of-way of the RF&P Railroad through the City of Alexandria.[35] The line enters a short tunnel under U.S. Route 1. After crossing a bridge over Four Mile Run, the line enters Arlington County on an elevated structure above the National Airport parking lots.[36]

At the north end of the airport, the Yellow Line enters a tunnel under 18th Street South and South Hayes Street in Crystal City.[35] The tunnel continues along the southwest face of the Pentagon which is a 2-level station to facilitate a fork with the Blue Line. After the Pentagon station, the Yellow Line emerges from its tunnel east of the Pentagon and crosses the Charles R. Fenwick Bridge over the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Potomac River, and Ohio Drive.[35] At the end of the bridge, the Yellow Line re-enters a tunnel near the Jefferson Memorial and crosses under the Washington Channel.[35] The tunnel merges with the Green Line tunnel under 7th Street Southwest just south of the L'Enfant Plaza.[35] The joint Yellow—Green Line tunnel continues north through downtown Washington under 7th Street, turns west under Florida Avenue and U Street, and then north under 14th Street Northwest.[35] The tunnel then turns toward the northeast under Park Road and New Hampshire Avenue.[35] The tunnel then bends eastward under Rock Creek Cemetery and Fort Totten Park to emerge just before entering the lower level of the Fort Totten station. Until May 2019, this was the northern terminal for Yellow Line service, with the track continuing northeast as just the Green Line to the Greenbelt terminus.[35][37] Between May 2019 and September 2022, and again beginning in December 2025, the Yellow Line continued along these tracks to Greenbelt.

Internally, the Yellow Line in Virginia is called the "Huntington Route" (C) and the route through the District of Columbia and beyond to Greenbelt as the "Greenbelt Route" (E). The line's bridge over the Potomac River is called the L Route.[38] As of March 2018, all Yellow Line trains were required only to run 8-car trains.[39][40] However Yellow Line trains began operating 6-car trains again in summer 2019, and full time by September 2022.

Stations

[edit]

The following stations are along the line, from south to north.

Station Code Opened Image Other Metro
Line(s) 		Notes
Huntington C15 December 17, 1983 Southern terminus
Eisenhower Avenue C14
King Street–Old Town C13 Amtrak Virginia Railway Express at Alexandria Union Station
Transfer station for the Blue Line (southern)
Braddock Road C12
Potomac Yard C11 May 19, 2023 Infill station
National Airport C10 July 1, 1977
Crystal City C09 Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line, Fredericksburg Line
Pentagon City C08
Pentagon C07 Transfer station for the Blue Line (northern); crosses Potomac River via Fenwick Bridge.

Built as a multi-level station due to geographic constraints, with
trains heading south towards Huntington (Yellow Line) and Franconia-Springfield (Blue Line) on the lower level, and
trains heading north towards Mount Vernon Square (Yellow Line) and Largo (Blue Line) on the upper level.

L'Enfant Plaza F03 Virginia Railway Express Manassas Line, Fredericksburg Line at L'Enfant
Transfer station for the Orange, Silver, Blue, and Green Lines.
Archives F02 April 30, 1983
Gallery Place F01 December 15, 1976 Transfer station for the Green and Red Lines.
Mount Vernon Square E01 May 11, 1991 Northern terminus, Transfer station for the Green Line to Greenbelt

Future

[edit]

A second improvement project involves building a pedestrian tunnel to interconnect the Gallery Place station with Metro Center. A July 2005 study proposed connecting the eastern mezzanine of Metro Center with the western mezzanine of Gallery Place that are only one block apart. The proposed connection would reduce the number of passengers that use the Red Line to transfer between the Yellow Line and the Blue and Orange lines at Metro Center. As of 2011, the project remained unfunded.[41][needs update]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Peak hours are 5 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "WMATA History" (PDF). WMATA. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Metro Pocket Guide 50.532 (REV.3/11)" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  3. ^ "Metrorail Timetable: Weekend" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. May 26, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ "Metrorail Timetable: Weekday Evening" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. April 14, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2009. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ "How will Rush Plus affect the Yellow Line?". Greater Greater Washington.
  6. ^ "Metro GM recommends customer-focused improvements to service, fares in FY20 budget proposal | WMATA".
  7. ^ "Timetables | WMATA". WMATA. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Schrag at p. 33-38.
  9. ^ Schrag at p. 39.
  10. ^ Schrag at p. 42.
  11. ^ Schrag at p. 55.
  12. ^ Schrag at p. 112.
  13. ^ Schrag at p. 117.
  14. ^ a b Schrag at p. 217.
  15. ^ a b Schrag at p. 214.
  16. ^ Schrag at p. 214-16.
  17. ^ The Schumin Web Transit Center. "July 4 Service". Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  18. ^ "Metro History" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  19. ^ "Yellow Line to extend to Fort Totten; off-peak Red Line turn backs at Grosvenor to end" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. April 20, 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  20. ^ "Yellow Line to Fort Totten expected to be approved". Washington Examiner. April 20, 2006. Archived from the original on April 11, 2025.
  21. ^ "Metro announces June 25 effective date for new hours, fares, schedules" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. May 12, 2017.
  22. ^ "Metro wants to rebuild 20 station platforms over three years, creating SafeTrack-like disruptions". Washington Post. May 7, 2018. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018.
  23. ^ "Metro plans 'summer shutdown' on Blue, Yellow lines next year". WTOP. May 7, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  24. ^ "Metro to extend Yellow Line service to Greenbelt beginning May 25" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. May 20, 2019.
  25. ^ a b "Metro announces Yellow Line reopening date | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  26. ^ "Special Covid-19 System Map" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2020.
  27. ^ "Metrorail stations closed due to COVID-19 pandemic". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. March 23, 2020. Archived from the original on April 9, 2020.
  28. ^ "Metro to reopen 15 stations, reallocate bus service to address crowding, starting Sunday" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. June 22, 2020.
  29. ^ "Metro reminds customers of upcoming closures of Addison Road and Arlington Cemetery stations for platform reconstruction beginning Saturday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  30. ^ "Alternative Travel Options Summer 2021 | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  31. ^ "Metro announces travel alternatives for major Blue and Yellow Line construction this fall | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  32. ^ "Metro's Yellow Line reopens Sunday with controversial turnback". WJLA-TV. Sinclair Broadcast Group. May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  33. ^ Laris, Michael (May 19, 2023). "Potomac Yard Metro station, decades in the making, opens in Alexandria". Washington Post. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  34. ^ "Metro Board of Directors approves $4.957 billion FY2026 budget that improves service without raising fares" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. April 10, 2025.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g h i Metro Washington D.C. Beltway (Map) (2000–2001 ed.). American Automobile Association. 2000.
  36. ^ "Potomac Yards Metrorail Station EIS". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
  37. ^ Nigrelli Anthony (April 14, 2023). "In our inbox: DC Streetcar vs. X2 Bus, Yellow Line turnback, missing middle & fake tags". ggwash.com. Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  38. ^ Schrag at p. 188.
  39. ^ Smith, Max (March 23, 2018). "Metro lengthens Yellow, Green Line trains after service cuts cause crowding". WTOP. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  40. ^ Repetski, Stephen. "Metro Reasons: Where did the Yellow and Green lines' eight-car trains go?". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  41. ^ "Gallery Place/Chinatown – Metro Center Pedestrian Passageway" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2011.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Schrag, Zachary (2006). The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-8246-X.
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