Franconia–Springfield station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franconia–Springfield
Metro trains at Franconia-Springfield in 2008
Location	6880 Frontier Drive, Springfield, Virginia United States
Coordinates	38°45′58″N 77°10′07″W / 38.76611°N 77.16861°W / 38.76611; -77.16861
Owned by	WMATA
Line(s)	RF&P Subdivision
Platforms	1 island platform (Metro) 2 side platforms (VRE)
Tracks	4 (2 for each service)
Bus stands	8
Connections	Fairfax Connector: 231, 232, 301, 305, 308, 310, 321, 322, 334, 335, 340, 341, 350, 351, 371, 372, 373, 401, 402, 494 OmniRide: Prince William Metro Express Greyhound BestBus
Construction
Parking	5,069 spaces
Bicycle facilities	36 racks, 20 lockers
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	J02 (WMATA)
Fare zone	Zone 3 (VRE)
History
Opened	1995 (VRE) June 29, 1997 (1997-Jun-29) (Metro)
Rebuilt	2019 (Metro)
Traffic
Passengers (2016)	6,970 daily  10.31% (WMATA)
Services
Preceding station Virginia Railway Express Following station Lorton toward Spotsylvania Fredericksburg Line Alexandria toward Washington, D.C. Preceding station Washington Metro Following station Terminus Blue Line Van Dorn Street toward Largo Town Center
Former services Preceding station 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.

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.

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

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. 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".

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. 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. 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.

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

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.

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

• VRE: Franconia/Springfield Station
• WMATA: Franconia–Springfield Station
• StationMasters Online: Franconia–Springfield Station
• The Schumin Web Transit Center: Franconia–Springfield Station
• USA Rail Guide: Franconia–Springfield Station

See also

In Spanish: Franconia–Springfield (Metro de Washington) para niños