Washington DC: Rail transit

[Busy Bee]

I wish it success.

[coltonriver]

love hearing about plans to expand metro! Dulles taking 51 years to get done is crazy, glad they’re trying to avoid that delay with these new extensions. mass transit is the way to go for reducing emissions and traffic headaches. thanks for sharing this update.

[OhioGuy]

Originally Posted by coltonriver

love hearing about plans to expand metro! Dulles taking 51 years to get done is crazy, glad they’re trying to avoid that delay with these new extensions. mass transit is the way to go for reducing emissions and traffic headaches. thanks for sharing this update.

Unfortunately it's not expansion of Metro, it's extending MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) trains from their current terminus in DC and use the existing rail lines in Virginia that Amtrak & VRE (Virginia Railway Express) use to provide service to the jobs in Crystal City/National Landing and further to Old Town Alexandria.

I wish Maryland could find the funding to buy the right-of-way for their Camden and Brunswick lines so that they could expand to all-day two-way service, similar to what Virginia has done over the last few years to enable increase service frequencies of the rail service throughout the state.

[Busy Bee]

Are the geniuses at MARC still running diesels under wire?

[ardecila]

Alexandria isn't far enough, they should run MARC to Haymarket and Woodbridge, or at least Springfield. I guess Maryland is more interested in connecting its residents to Virginia jobs, but they could also be connecting Virginians to Maryland jobs!

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Washington DC: Capitol of the United States: The Richest Country on Earth (and it's not even close): "We Can't Afford a Streetcar"

The streetcar system was supposed to be huge.

Unfortunately, with the appearance of electric buses that can charge their batteries with overhead streetcar wires, I fear that a few of the other streetcar systems will become similar targets.

[wanderer34]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Alexandria isn't far enough, they should run MARC to Haymarket and Woodbridge, or at least Springfield. I guess Maryland is more interested in connecting its residents to Virginia jobs, but they could also be connecting Virginians to Maryland jobs!

Wait a minute! Isn't MARC supposed to be within MD and VRE supposed to be within VA and both agencies having service to DC??? I'm actually confused.

[C.]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

The streetcar system was supposed to be huge.

Unfortunately, with the appearance of electric buses that can charge their batteries with overhead streetcar wires, I fear that a few of the other streetcar systems will become similar targets.

Yes, I’m way late to the funeral. I just read that DC is planning to shutdown its lone streetcar line. What a catastrophe failure!

I know little about it, but you’d think it would be a great way to shuttle people from Union Station to the new RFK stadium one day, but guess not. Come to think of it, I don’t even know where to board the streetcar when at Union Station visiting DC.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by wanderer34

Wait a minute! Isn't MARC supposed to be within MD and VRE supposed to be within VA and both agencies having service to DC??? I'm actually confused.

That's how it's set up right now, but it's stupid to break up the rail system along state lines when the DC metro area spreads across 3 states with commuters and jobs in all of them.

WMATA covers all 3 states but doesn't extend out far enough, especially in the I-95 and I-66 corridors where MARC and VRE operate. Extending WMATA along those corridors would be horrendously expensive when they really should be expanding in the core instead (DC/Arlington).

[202_Cyclist]

All rails for the Purple Line have now been laid; opening not expected until late 2027

By Tom Roussey
May 7, 2026
WJLA

"SILVER SPRING, Md. (7News) — At a ceremony Thursday afternoon in Silver Spring, Maryland, Governor Wes Moore and other elected officials pounded in the last of 16 miles of rails for the future Maryland Purple Line.

However, the light rail line – which will travel between Bethesda and New Carrollton – is not expected to open until late next year.

Thursday’s event was held off 16th Street at what will be the future 16th Street-Woodside station, one of 21 stations that will be located along the Purple Line, which will be a light rail system in which trains will be powered by overhead electrical wires..."

https://wjla.com/news/local/purple-line-...ing-bethesda-new-carrollton-installation