Silver Line Dulles WMATA Metrorail progress/pictures

justalurker66 wrote:

farecard wrote:True. But the major change eliminates the major selling point of the stop -- convenience. It's usable by the dedicated but hardly desirable.

I am not too upset with the new location ... closer is always better but the station is closer to the terminal building than the main garage and will be connected to the terminal with moving walkways. The location does not make it *so inconvenient* that most who were planning on taking WMATA would change their mind.

I wonder whether WMATA would have a shuttle between the station and the terminal, like it does at DCA? It seems silly to have it, but at DCA the shuttle runs from Terminal A to the metro station, even though you can walk that distance (inside or out).

justalurker66 wrote:

farecard wrote:True. But the major change eliminates the major selling point of the stop -- convenience. It's usable by the dedicated but hardly desirable.

I am not too upset with the new location ... closer is always better but the station is closer to the terminal building than the main garage and will be connected to the terminal with moving walkways. The location does not make it *so inconvenient* that most who were planning on taking WMATA would change their mind.

My guess would be no. The major reason is that Dulles only has the single terminal compared to Reagan which has Terminals A, B, and C.

The interesting thing looking at the trip planner is that Van Dorn to King St will no longer be the longest stretch between stations (3.78 miles). Wiehle-Reston East to Spring Hill comes in at 5.66 miles between stations. It reminds me of the distances between some of the BART stations in San Francisco.

"justalurker66"
I am not too upset with the new location ... closer is always better but the station is closer to the terminal building than the main garage and will be connected to the terminal with moving walkways. The location does not make it *so inconvenient* that most who were planning on taking WMATA would change their mind.

The order of access convenience at Dulles Airport is:

Drop off pick up in front of main terminal.
Hourly / valet parking lot in front of main terminal.
Future Silver line Metrorail Station.
Parking garage 1.
Parking garage 2.
Rental car pickup and drop off.
Cell-phone waiting lot.
Blue, Green, Purple and Gold economy parking lots.

The future Silver line Metrorail Station will be on south side of parking garage 1 and will access the main terminal through the existing pedestrian tunnel that access garage 1. The existing pedestrian tunnel has a moving walkway in it. Garage 2 access the west end of the main terminal through an inclosed pedestrian bridge (no moving walkway) The economy parking lots are accessed using shuttle buses.

JackRussell wrote:

DCAfan wrote: I live within a block of Archives and can get a one-seat ride to National Airport in 12 minutes on the Yellow Line. Once the Silver Line is completed the trip to Dulles for me will take a least an hour longer, factoring in the long walk from the rail station to the airline check-in desk.

There will not be a long walk required to get to the ticketing counter. There is an already-existing underground tunnel with moving sidewalks that leads right up to the main terminal building. This tunnel is clean and well-lit. The airport Metro station will connect directly to this tunnel.

So you are saying I should tolerate a 22 stop over one hour ride from Dulles to Archives after flying 9 hours or so over multiple time zones. That's crazy. No thank you.

"tdoran1951"
Has the new SL been tested under full ATC/ATO?

Yes. The process during startup involves the testing of the train control and signaling in automatic and manual mode under every conceivable condition.

Are there any known limitations, and/or restriction on operation? Such as maximum authorized speed?

Train speed will be governed by the engineered civil speed limit as defined by the specifications used on the existing railroad. The speed limits through the various curves through junction and Tysons Corner very from 40 to 55 MPH the broader curves along the Connector and Access road have 65 MPH limits. The broadest curves and the tangents are limited to 75 MPH.

DCAfan wrote:

JackRussell wrote:

DCAfan wrote: I live within a block of Archives and can get a one-seat ride to National Airport in 12 minutes on the Yellow Line. Once the Silver Line is completed the trip to Dulles for me will take a least an hour longer, factoring in the long walk from the rail station to the airline check-in desk.

There will not be a long walk required to get to the ticketing counter. There is an already-existing underground tunnel with moving sidewalks that leads right up to the main terminal building. This tunnel is clean and well-lit. The airport Metro station will connect directly to this tunnel.

So you are saying I should tolerate a 22 stop over one hour ride from Dulles to Archives after flying 9 hours or so over multiple time zones. That's crazy. No thank you.

That's what happens when airports are built in the boondocks. So, the other option is to drive and park or pay for a taxi, or I guess pay for one of the express busses, to Dulles. Others may be able to pay for the benefits of flying from DCA. To each his own.

Sand Box John wrote:"tdoran1951"
Has the new SL been tested under full ATC/ATO?

Yes. The process during startup involves the testing of the train control and signaling in automatic and manual mode under every conceivable condition.

Are there any known limitations, and/or restriction on operation? Such as maximum authorized speed?

Train speed will be governed by the engineered civil speed limit as defined by the specifications used on the existing railroad. The speed limits through the various curves through junction and Tysons Corner very from 40 to 55 MPH the broader curves along the Connector and Access road have 65 MPH limits. The broadest curves and the tangents are limited to 75 MPH.

Will the trains be able to reach 75mph? I thought they were limited to 60mph?

MattW wrote:

Sand Box John wrote:"tdoran1951"
Has the new SL been tested under full ATC/ATO?

Yes. The process during startup involves the testing of the train control and signaling in automatic and manual mode under every conceivable condition.

Are there any known limitations, and/or restriction on operation? Such as maximum authorized speed?

Train speed will be governed by the engineered civil speed limit as defined by the specifications used on the existing railroad. The speed limits through the various curves through junction and Tysons Corner very from 40 to 55 MPH the broader curves along the Connector and Access road have 65 MPH limits. The broadest curves and the tangents are limited to 75 MPH.

Will the trains be able to reach 75mph? I thought they were limited to 60mph?

Me too, I though 60/MPH was now the top end. Could the 7000's go faster than 75/MPH in revenue service if signal system was updated on new expansion branches such as the SL maybe 80/MPH, possibly 90/MPH could be reached?

MattW wrote: Will the trains be able to reach 75mph? I thought they were limited to 60mph?

I have seen them get up over 70 on the Orange line once you get west of WFC.

Folks who have an Android phone and who want to play the home game of "How fast is this train going" can download the "GPS Test" app from the Android play store. Once it gets a lock on enough satellites, it shows speed and position. You may need to hold the phone up next to the window for it to get a lock on enough satellites.

http://www.androlib.com/android.applica ... -zjAp.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On its facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MetroForward?fref=nf), Metro is posting lots of photos about the Silver Line:

• https://www.facebook.com/MetroForward/p ... =1&theater

• https://www.facebook.com/MetroForward/p ... =1&theater

WaPo has a really wonderful article with lots of nifty graphics about Tysons Corner and the coming of the Silver Line: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp ... -stations/.

Another interesting article discussing how lucky we are that everything worked out and the line was actually built:http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/tra ... story.html

Metro has released a TV ad for the opening of the Silver Line. http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/P ... aseID=5748; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW41gztWML8. It's a bit corny, no? But it does feature Metro employees and choreographed dancers at the new Wiehle-Reston E. station, so how corny can it be?

if there was any confusion about the beginning of silver line service, the wapo article clears it up

After the inaugural train covers the 11.7 miles of new tracks and is about to arrive at East Falls Church, all the simulated Silver trains headed in the other direction, from Largo toward Wiehle, will cease to be labeled as Orange. Signs at the front of those trains will change, mid-trip, to read “Silver” instead of “Orange.”

Which means that shortly before 12:30 p.m. Saturday, as the inaugural train approaches East Falls Church, some westbound passengers who boarded trains labeled Orange, with the terminus of East Falls Church posted on the cars, will suddenly find that they’re on trains redesignated as Silver and bound for Wiehle Avenue.

Not to worry, though: The stops will be the same as the Orange Line’s, except for the five added stations at the end, in Tysons and at Wiehle Avenue.

As for eastbound simulated Silver Line trains running ahead of the inaugural train, those won’t change their designations from Orange to Silver until they reach the Largo Town Center station and start back in the other direction.

Finally, about 1:10 p.m., when the inaugural train rolls into Largo, simulated service will be over. All Silver trains in the system will have been relabeled as such. And the new line, decades in the planning and years in the building, will officially be a reality.

YOLO wrote:if there was any confusion about the beginning of silver line service, the wapo article clears it up

After the inaugural train covers the 11.7 miles of new tracks and is about to arrive at East Falls Church, all the simulated Silver trains headed in the other direction, from Largo toward Wiehle, will cease to be labeled as Orange. Signs at the front of those trains will change, mid-trip, to read “Silver” instead of “Orange.”

Which means that shortly before 12:30 p.m. Saturday, as the inaugural train approaches East Falls Church, some westbound passengers who boarded trains labeled Orange, with the terminus of East Falls Church posted on the cars, will suddenly find that they’re on trains redesignated as Silver and bound for Wiehle Avenue.

Not to worry, though: The stops will be the same as the Orange Line’s, except for the five added stations at the end, in Tysons and at Wiehle Avenue.

As for eastbound simulated Silver Line trains running ahead of the inaugural train, those won’t change their designations from Orange to Silver until they reach the Largo Town Center station and start back in the other direction.

Finally, about 1:10 p.m., when the inaugural train rolls into Largo, simulated service will be over. All Silver trains in the system will have been relabeled as such. And the new line, decades in the planning and years in the building, will officially be a reality.

Nice catch...We're still certain that it will just say "Silver" and show "Wiehle-Reston E." on the side, and that there will not be a silver/white LED on the side/front?