Franconia–Springfield VREX commuter rail station Washington Metro rapid transit station |
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Washington Metro platform |
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Address | 6880 Frontier Drive Springfield, VA 22150 |
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Metro: |
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Connections | WMATA Metrobus Fairfax Connector OmniRide Commuter Greyhound Bus Lines |
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Platforms | 1 island platform (Washington Metro) 2 side platforms (Virginia Railway Express) |
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Tracks | 4 (2 for each service) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Parking | 5,069 spaces | ||||||||||||||||||||
Bicycle facilities | 36 racks, 20 lockers | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Opened | June 29, 1997[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Code | J03 (WMATA) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Owned by | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fare zone | Zone 3 (VREX) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Franconia–Springfield is an island platformed Washington Metro station in Springfield, Virginia, United States. The station was opened on June 29, 1997, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue Line, it is the southwestern terminus of the Blue Line, and is located at the junction of Franconia-Springfield Parkway and Frontier Drive. The station serves a suburban area and is mostly used for commuters, with 5,069 spaces in Metro's biggest parking garage. It is a major transit hub, providing not only Metro service, but also Virginia Railway Express, Metrobus, and local and regional bus service. It also served as an Amtrak station for the Northeast Regional line between 1997 and 2010. Amtrak's code for the station was "FRS."
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Prior to construction by the 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.[2]
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.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] Opened on June 29, 1997, its opening coincided with the completion of 3.3 miles (5.3 km)[6] of rail west of the Van Dorn Street station.[1] The final cost for both the station and rail expansion was $175 million.[7]
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. [8]
Franconia–Springfield station is currently the 9th-most used WMATA Metro station in Virginia, and is also used by weekday commuters for connections to the Fredericksburg Line of the Virginia Railway Express.
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