Franconia–Springfield station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Franconia–Springfield
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Metro trains at Franconia-Springfield in June 2008
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| Location | 6880 Frontier Drive Springfield, Virginia United States |
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| Coordinates | 38°45′58″N 77°10′07″W / 38.76611°N 77.16861°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | RF&P Subdivision | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 island platform (Metro) 2 side platforms (VRE) |
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| Tracks | 4 (2 for each service) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bus stands | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections |
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| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | At-grade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | 5,069 spaces | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Capital Bikeshare, 36 racks, 20 lockers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | J03 (WMATA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fare zone | Zone 3 (VRE) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1995 (VRE) June 29, 1997 (Metro) |
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| Rebuilt | 2019 (Metro) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Franconia–Springfield station is a busy transportation hub in Springfield, Virginia, United States. It serves as a major stop for both the Washington Metro subway system and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter trains. It's also a big bus terminal, connecting many local and long-distance bus routes.
This station is the very last stop (or terminus) on the Metro Blue Line. For VRE, it's a stop along the Fredericksburg Line. The station has different types of platforms: one island platform for the Metro trains (where you can get on trains going in two directions from the middle) and two side platforms for the VRE trains (where you wait on the side of the tracks).
Located near I-95, the station is mostly used by people traveling from farther away for work or school. It has the largest parking garage in the entire Metro system, with over 5,000 parking spots! In 2023, it was one of the busiest Metro stations in Virginia. The VRE part of the station opened in 1995, and the Metro part opened on June 29, 1997.
A Look Back: Station History
Before the current station was built, there was an older train station called Franconia Station. It was built in 1870 but was taken down in 1952.
Originally, the Metro system planned to have two separate stations for Franconia and Springfield. However, by 1979, these plans changed. It was decided to combine them into one station to save money and make things simpler. This new combined station was named "Franconia-Springfield."
In the 1980s, there were many discussions about extending the Metro's Yellow Line to Springfield. By 1991, enough money was found, and the plans for the station, its large parking garage, and other facilities were approved.
The VRE train platform opened first in 1995. The Metro station then opened on June 29, 1997. This opening completed a 3.3-mile (5.3 km) extension of the Metro line. The total cost for building the station and extending the rail line was about $175 million.
Because more and more people were using the station, an extra parking garage was opened on October 10, 2003. This added 1,000 more parking spaces, bringing the total to about 5,100.
On June 25, 2017, the Yellow Line trains stopped serving this station as part of big changes to the Metro system.
The station has also had some upgrades. In 2019, the Blue and Yellow Line platforms south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station, including Franconia–Springfield, were closed for renovations. They were closed again from September to November 2022 for another important project. During these closures, special shuttle buses helped people get around.
How the Station is Set Up
To get into the station, you use an elevated walkway. This walkway connects the large parking garage and the bus areas to the train platforms.
The Metro Blue Line trains stop on an island platform located below this walkway. The area where you pay your fare is on the same level as the elevated walkway. The VRE trains stop on two side platforms that are right next to the Metro tracks.
See also
In Spanish: Franconia–Springfield (Metro de Washington) para niños
