Overview | |||
---|---|---|---|
Locale | Washington, D.C. | ||
Transit type | Rapid transit | ||
Number of lines | 6 | ||
Line number |
Red Line Blue Line Orange Line Yellow Line Green Line Silver Line |
||
Number of stations | 91 (7 more under construction) | ||
Daily ridership | 868,400 (Q2 2016) | ||
Annual ridership | 261,435,200 (2015) | ||
Chief executive | Paul Wiedefeld | ||
Headquarters | 600 5th St NW Washington, D.C. 20001 |
||
Website | www.wmata.com | ||
Operation | |||
Began operation | March 27, 1976 | ||
Operator(s) | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) | ||
Character | At-grade, elevated, and underground | ||
Number of vehicles | 1,126 railcars | ||
Train length | 6 or 8 cars | ||
Headway | 6 mins peak; 12–20 mins offpeak | ||
Technical | |||
System length | 117 mi (188 km) | ||
No. of tracks | 2 | ||
Track gauge | (1,429 mm) | ||
Minimum radius of curvature | 225 feet (68.6 m) | ||
Electrification | Third rail 750 V DC | ||
|
Topological diagram of the whole system including extension under construction and the approved Maryland Purple Line (light rail) which will be operationally separate from the metro.
The Washington Metro, known colloquially as Metro and branded Metrorail, is the heavy rail rapid transit system serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area in the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name. Besides the District, Metro serves several jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia. In Maryland, Metro provides service to Montgomery and Prince George's counties; in Virginia, to Arlington and Fairfax counties and the independent city of Alexandria. Combined with its ridership in the independent Virginia cities of Falls Church and Fairfax, the Metro service area is largely coextensive with the inner ring of the Washington metropolitan area. The system is currently being expanded into Loudoun County, Virginia. It operates mostly as a subway in the District itself, while most of the suburban tracks are at surface level or elevated.