Washington Metro facts for kids
The Washington Metro is a big train system that helps people travel around Washington, D.C. in the United States. It's like a giant underground and above-ground railway! Many people use it every day. In fact, it's the second busiest train system in the whole United States. Only the New York City Subway carries more passengers.
Metro Lines
The Washington Metro has six different train lines. Each line has its own color and takes people to different parts of the city and nearby areas. Here are the lines and when they started running:
- Red Line: This was the very first line to open in 1976.
- Blue Line: It started carrying passengers in 1977.
- Orange Line: This line opened in 1978.
- Yellow Line: You could start riding this line in 1983.
- Green Line: This line began service in 1991.
- Silver Line: This is the newest line, which opened in 2014.
How the Metro Started
Building a huge train system like the Washington Metro took many years. The very first part of the Metro opened its doors on March 27, 1976. Imagine, that's almost 50 years ago! The entire train system, with all its lines and stations, was finally finished on January 13, 2001. It was a big project that helped connect many communities.
Images for kids
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Metro under construction at the Navy Yard in 1989
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Interior of a rehabilitated Breda car (2007)
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The interior of the 7000 series trains uses a mix of seating styles
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Metro Transit Police cruiser
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A sign indicating the future location of the Potomac Yard metro station, which broke ground in 2019.
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Front face of an old paper Metro farecard, listing declining-balance value remaining
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Green Line train after the January 7, 2007 derailment
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Proposed route of the Purple Line
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Van Ness-UDC Station (opened 1981) shows a modified ceiling vault
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Twinbrook (opened 1984) is a typical original above-ground station
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King Street-Old Town Station (opened 1983) shows a modified elevated station design, used in historic Alexandria as it was less intrusive
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The newest elevated station design, seen here at Wiehle-Reston East station (opened 2014) mirrors the design of the original underground stations
See also
In Spanish: Metro de Washington para niños
