MetroDreamin' | Washington, DC rail transit and some buses with fictional expansions (WIP)

Setting things up

created 37 weeks ago

updated 1 week ago

Please feel free to give feedback!

In this plan, no more than two Metro lines will share any section of track, in other words, triple-interlining is completely avoided. This enables all routes to run every 5 or 6 minutes at best while staying within the system's 26tph limit (every 2.5-3 for the Red Line). It combines elements of all of WMATA's BOS proposals: the Bloop, Silver Line Express in Virginia/Blue Line to Greenbelt (taken by the Gold Line in Virginia and the Pink Line east of Port Towns) and the Silver Line to New Carrollton (taken by the Gold Line east of Port Towns). A few infill stations have also been added on all existing Metro lines.

Between West Falls Church and just west of Rosslyn, the Gold Line will have its own tracks separate from the Orange and Silver Lines, with only one intermediate stop at Ballston. The route here could be adjusted.

The Yellow Line is extended to Fort Totten station implying the construction of a new pocket track there.

Rosslyn station will feature cross-platform interchange for intra-Virginia passengers (primarily between stations west of Rosslyn on SV/GD and south of Rosslyn on BL). OR/BL will use the current platforms while SV/GD will use two new platforms opposite the current ones. UPDATE Aug 2024: After online discussions with others I have learnt that this is most likely not feasible as the stations in question, like most underground stations, are not structurally designed for expansion. So SV/GD will be in Rosslyn II, without cross-platform interchange.

Union Station and the Farragut complex will have six tracks each, while the following interchange stations will have four each: West Falls Church, Ballston-MU, Rosslyn, Pentagon, Mount Vernon Sq, Fort Totten, Navy Yard.
 
Gold Line is kind of an express Silver Line (idea from this article: https://ggwash.org/view/90310/metrorails-looking-at-four-realignments-to-move-more-riders-one-will-work-better-than-the-others). It uses the code GD, not GL, to avoid confusion with the Green Line. UPDATE Aug 2024: I had initially planned to have a NYC-style one-level design at Ballston-MU station, with the express tracks on the outside and expansion of the current side platforms to become island platforms. After online discussions with others I have learnt that this is most likely not feasible as the stations in question, like most underground stations, are not structurally designed for expansion. However, it's still cool to implement in NIMBY Rails!

IGNORE, OUTDATED: The Silver Line is completely redundant with the Orange and Gold Lines and could run as a part-time service (no evening service and possibly no weekend service) like many NYC subway services, enabling resources to be focused on the much longer Gold Line, which has convenient yard access on both ends.

The BL/OR/SV/GD combinations from Rosslyn into both downtown east-west trunk tunnels were chosen to minimize merging conflicts while preserving more one-seat ride options on the current SV between Wiehle and McLean, which is why the SV takes over the original BL. Consequently, my reasoning for swapping the BL/YL routing south of King Street is because this assumes an expanded VRE service and BL from Franconia-Springfield (or Lorton if extended) to Union Station would overlap with VRE.

Recommended potential further extensions: OR west to Centreville (added), PK west to Fairfax/Fair Oaks/Chantilly (added), BL south to Fort Belvoir and change the loop to a spiral (done), RD northwest to Metropolitan Grove (added), RD northeast to Olney (added)

Other potential further extensions that are less ideal due to being overly redundant with commuter rail lines that will have improved service: SV/GD west to Leesburg, YL south to Lorton, OR/GD east to Bowie, GR/PK north to Laurel.

Todo: Make the Purple Line a complete loop through Virginia and Maryland, with accurate alignments. Improve accuracy of the W&OD route. Finish commuter rail.

Potential reroute: YL branches off GR north of Shaw, up Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring, instead of going to Fort Totten, to relieve the Georgia Avenue corridor.

Potential streetcar: Washington-Virginia Inner Loop (via Chain Bridge)

I may add some proposed and fictional BRT routes to this map, such as Route 7 BRT in Virginia. Local non-BRT bus routes will not be included unless integral to the rail network, to keep the focus on rail and rail-esque transit.

Service patterns not shown on this map:
1. The Red Line has every other train run only between Grosvenor and Silver Spring during rush hours only.
2. The Gold Line doesn't run during evening hours (about 9:30pm-close). During this time, the Silver Line runs all the way to Ashburn, and the Orange Line to Bowie (once that extension is complete).
3. At all times except evenings, around half of Blue Line trains only run between Huntington and Capitol South, then become Pink Line trains to Annandale.

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MetroDreamin' by Marcasia726
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Washington, DC rail transit and some buses with fictional expansions (WIP) by Marcasia726

created at 2024-05-22T00:20:13.766Z

updated at 2025-01-26T01:10:32.728Z

Please feel free to give feedback! In this plan, no more than two Metro lines will share any section of track, in other words, triple-interlining is completely avoided. This enables all routes to run every 5 or 6 minutes at best while staying within the system's 26tph limit (every 2.5-3 for the Red Line). It combines elements of all of WMATA's BOS proposals: the Bloop, Silver Line Express in Virginia/Blue Line to Greenbelt (taken by the Gold Line in Virginia and the Pink Line east of Port Towns) and the Silver Line to New Carrollton (taken by the Gold Line east of Port Towns). A few infill stations have also been added on all existing Metro lines. Between West Falls Church and just west of Rosslyn, the Gold Line will have its own tracks separate from the Orange and Silver Lines, with only one intermediate stop at Ballston. The route here could be adjusted. The Yellow Line is extended to Fort Totten station implying the construction of a new pocket track there. Rosslyn station will feature cross-platform interchange for intra-Virginia passengers (primarily between stations west of Rosslyn on SV/GD and south of Rosslyn on BL). OR/BL will use the current platforms while SV/GD will use two new platforms opposite the current ones. UPDATE Aug 2024: After online discussions with others I have learnt that this is most likely not feasible as the stations in question, like most underground stations, are not structurally designed for expansion. So SV/GD will be in Rosslyn II, without cross-platform interchange. Union Station and the Farragut complex will have six tracks each, while the following interchange stations will have four each: West Falls Church, Ballston-MU, Rosslyn, Pentagon, Mount Vernon Sq, Fort Totten, Navy Yard. Gold Line is kind of an express Silver Line (idea from this article: https://ggwash.org/view/90310/metrorails-looking-at-four-realignments-to-move-more-riders-one-will-work-better-than-the-others). It uses the code GD, not GL, to avoid confusion with the Green Line. UPDATE Aug 2024: I had initially planned to have a NYC-style one-level design at Ballston-MU station, with the express tracks on the outside and expansion of the current side platforms to become island platforms. After online discussions with others I have learnt that this is most likely not feasible as the stations in question, like most underground stations, are not structurally designed for expansion. However, it's still cool to implement in NIMBY Rails! IGNORE, OUTDATED: The Silver Line is completely redundant with the Orange and Gold Lines and could run as a part-time service (no evening service and possibly no weekend service) like many NYC subway services, enabling resources to be focused on the much longer Gold Line, which has convenient yard access on both ends. The BL/OR/SV/GD combinations from Rosslyn into both downtown east-west trunk tunnels were chosen to minimize merging conflicts while preserving more one-seat ride options on the current SV between Wiehle and McLean, which is why the SV takes over the original BL. Consequently, my reasoning for swapping the BL/YL routing south of King Street is because this assumes an expanded VRE service and BL from Franconia-Springfield (or Lorton if extended) to Union Station would overlap with VRE. Recommended potential further extensions: OR west to Centreville (added), PK west to Fairfax/Fair Oaks/Chantilly (added), BL south to Fort Belvoir and change the loop to a spiral (done), RD northwest to Metropolitan Grove (added), RD northeast to Olney (added) Other potential further extensions that are less ideal due to being overly redundant with commuter rail lines that will have improved service: SV/GD west to Leesburg, YL south to Lorton, OR/GD east to Bowie, GR/PK north to Laurel. Todo: Make the Purple Line a complete loop through Virginia and Maryland, with accurate alignments. Improve accuracy of the W&OD route. Finish commuter rail. Potential reroute: YL branches off GR north of Shaw, up Georgia Avenue to Silver Spring, instead of going to Fort Totten, to relieve the Georgia Avenue corridor. Potential streetcar: Washington-Virginia Inner Loop (via Chain Bridge) I may add some proposed and fictional BRT routes to this map, such as Route 7 BRT in Virginia. Local non-BRT bus routes will not be included unless integral to the rail network, to keep the focus on rail and rail-esque transit. Service patterns not shown on this map: 1. The Red Line has every other train run only between Grosvenor and Silver Spring during rush hours only. 2. The Gold Line doesn't run during evening hours (about 9:30pm-close). During this time, the Silver Line runs all the way to Ashburn, and the Orange Line to Bowie (once that extension is complete). 3. At all times except evenings, around half of Blue Line trains only run between Huntington and Capitol South, then become Pink Line trains to Annandale.

Map type: local | Total track length: 327 miles | Center coordinate: 38.9101, -77.082 |

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