After many years of delays and budget overruns, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) passengers are now able to have a direct Washington metro connection. The Washington metro silver line commenced service in 11/15/22. We had the unique opportunity to be on the first departing train from Dulles Airport.
What this means for passengers.
Traveling in or out of Washington Dulles International Airport has not been the easiest when it comes to accessibility. Car rental options are available, however the Washington DC area is known to have bad traffic. The only other option involved an hour plus bus ride. For an international arriving passengers who may not wish to rent a car, the sparse options left much to be desired. The Washington Metro Silver Line Extension alleviates much of this. Taking the Washington Metro Silver line to and from Dulles takes only an hour and has an on-peak and off-peak fare. On-peak, is only $6.00, when compared to rideshare or car rentals this offers an affordable way for transportation to and from Dulles. When arriving to Washington Dulles International Airport, head to baggage claim and then follow the signs labeled “METRO”” to the escalator / elevator. From there it is a simple walk to the metro concourse where tickets can be purchased.
First day of service
We arrived 45 minutes prior to the first outbound train. The WMATA just finished a press conference in the station entrance. There were free items such pendants and cookies. When we walked up to the table though we were told that since we were not registered for the event we could not grab any. We found this bizarre as the event was over and plenty were left. It is also worth noting that we reached out to the WMATA media team a few weeks ago and were not contacted back . It seemed that many staff members were rushing for some last minute preparations for the first train.
Soon enough we were allowed to enter the turnstiles. After a long escalator ride up we were on the platform with many other eager passengers. The island platform had a canopy keeping us dry and away from the elements. After less than an hour we were in the center of Washington DC. For such an important rail connection we couldn’t help but think that more could have been done to celebrate and promote the extension for the public.
When flying into Dulles, the Washington Metro is a suitable option when traveling into the DC area. More information on the Washington Metro Can be found below:
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