On November 15, area leaders and residents celebrated the opening of Metro’s Silver Line Extension, which promises to unlock new opportunities for Northern Virginia and the entire metropolitan Washington region.

Metro notes that 420,000 people live within five miles of the new stations. The new transit service will improve mobility and provide greater access to jobs, entertainment, shopping, and a direct ride to Washington Dulles International Airport. The extension connects customers to six new stations, adding 11.4 miles of track to the Metrorail system between Reston in Fairfax County and Ashburn in Loudoun County.

According to Metro’s news release, the opening followed nearly five months of testing, training, and safety certification efforts by the transit system after it took control of the project in June from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), which built the extension.

Congrats @wmata and @MWAAHQ for their hard work to bring the Silver Line through the finish line. It's a great day for our transit system and entire region. This extension is helping to advance our vision for more connected, sustainable, transit-oriented communities. https://t.co/wMQhOlaOyl pic.twitter.com/KZYynMUrk4

— Chuck Bean (@Chuck4TheRegion) November 15, 2022

By expanding Metro’s reach, the Silver Line Extension will help advance several of the priorities outlined in COG’s Region Forward Vision and Region United planning framework for 2030 to create more connected, sustainable, transit-oriented communities.

For more information on the extension as well as recording of the grand opening event, please visit Metro’s Silver Line Extension web page as well as its communications toolkit.