Travelers Will Soon Be Able to Take the Metro to Washington Dulles International Airport

Washington D.C. will open an extension of its Metrorail later this month, connecting the city to Washington Dulles International Airport by public train for the first time. 

The Silver Line extension, which is set to open on Nov. 15, will complete the final phase of a 23-mile expansion that began construction in 2009, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The extension will feature six new stations, including one for the airport. 

“We appreciate our partners… who have worked collaboratively with us for several years to reach this moment,” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said in a statement.

The silver line will connect airport travelers to the heart of Washington D.C., putting them close to landmarks like the White House, the National Mall, and the Smithsonian museums, as well as right in the heart of neighborhoods like Foggy Bottom.

“WE ARE READY!! Bring on November 15!” the airport tweeted this week alongside a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority video professing the same sentiment. 

This will be the first time the airport is connected to the city’s Metro. Currently, the only public transportation available from the city to the terminals is by bus with the Silver Line Express Bus connecting travelers to the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station, according to the airport. Other bus service is also available, connecting the airport to destinations throughout the area.

Washington D.C. now joins other major cities in being able to take the train to the airport, including New York City where the AirTrain connects several subway lines to John F. Kennedy International Airport. Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration approved a plan for a proposed AirTrain for New York’s other major airport, LaGuardia Airport.

And outside the United States, several countries have accessible train service from the city to the airport, including London, Milan, and Hong Kong.