Metro Center station

Metro Center station is the central hub station of the Washington Metro, a rapid transit system in Washington, D.C. The station is located in Downtown, centered on the intersection of 12th Street NW and G Street NW. It is the busiest station in the Metrorail system averaging 7,600 passengers per weekday as of 2022. It is one of the 4 major transfer points in the Metrorail network. The Red Line portion of Metro Center station opened on March 27, 1976, as part of the first section of the Metro system.

For other stations with similar names, see MetroCentre § Railway stations.
Metro Center
The crossed vaults at Metro Center station (April 2003)
General information
Location12 Street NW at G Street NW
Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°53′54″N 77°01′41″W
Platforms2 side platforms (upper level)
1 island platform (lower level)
Tracks4 (2 upper level, 2 lower level)
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Bicycle facilitiesCapital Bikeshare, 8 racks
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeA01 (upper level)
C01 (lower level)
History
OpenedMarch 27, 1976 (March 27, 1976)
Passengers
20227,600 daily[1]
Rank1st
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station
Farragut North
toward Shady Grove
 Red Line Gallery Place
toward Glenmont
McPherson Square
toward Vienna
 Orange Line Federal Triangle
toward New Carrollton
McPherson Square
toward Ashburn
 Silver Line Federal Triangle
toward Downtown Largo
McPherson Square
toward Franconia–Springfield
 Blue Line
Location

Station layout

Metro Center station is laid out in two underground levels in a cross shape centered on the intersection of 12th Street NW and G Street NW. The lower level runs north-south under 12th Street between F Street and H Street, with one island platform for the Orange Line, Silver Line, and Blue Line. The upper level runs east-west under G Street between 11th Street and 13th Street, with two side platforms for the Red Line, with wide corridors above the lower level platform and tracks. Mezzanines are located above the tracks at both ends of the upper platforms.

Entrances are located on G Street at 11th Street (southeast corner), 12th Street (northwest corner), and 13th Street (southeast corner); and at the southwest corner of 12th Street and F Street. Only the 12th Street and G Street entrance has a surface elevator.

G Street level Exit/entrance, buses
B1 Mezzanines Fare control, ticket machines, station agent
B2 Side platform
Westbound ← toward Shady Grove (Farragut North)
Eastbound → toward Glenmont (Gallery Place) →
Side platform
B3 Westbound ← toward Franconia–Springfield (McPherson Square)
← toward Vienna (McPherson Square)
← toward Ashburn (McPherson Square)
Island platform
Eastbound → toward Downtown Largo (Federal Triangle) →
→ toward New Carrollton (Federal Triangle) →

History
Station construction in 1973

Metro Center was one of the original 6 stations to open with the first section of the Red Line on March 27, 1976. The upper level with the Red Line opened on March 27, 1976 with the rest of the initial segment from Farragut North station to Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood station. The lower level opened on July 1, 1977 with the initial segment of the Blue Line from Reagan National Airport to Stadium-Armory station. Orange Line service began on November 20, 1979 with the opening of the segment from Stadium-Armory to New Carrollton Station. Silver line service began on July 26, 2014 with the opening of the segment from East Falls Church to Wiehle-Reston East.[2]

A pedestrian tunnel to nearby Gallery Place–Chinatown station has been proposed to connect all six Metro lines within fare control. A study was published in July 2005.[3]

Between January 16 to January 21, 2021, this station was closed because of security concerns due to the Inauguration of Joe Biden.[4]

In 1997, Lionel-Groulx station of the Montreal Metro underground subway system was redressed to stand in for Metro Center station in the Bruce Willis movie The Jackal.[5]

A mural entitled "Scenes of Washington" on the Metro Center wall.

Panorama
Panorama view of the Red Line platforms in March 2022

References
  1. "Rail Ridership Data Viewer". WMATA. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  2. Alberto, Cuadro; Denise, Lu (April 27, 2015). "How D.C. Metro grew over the years". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  3. Parsons; KPG Design Studio; Basile Baumann Prost & Associates (July 2005). "Gallery Place/Chinatown - Metro Center Pedestrian Passageway Tunnel Study" (PDF). WMATA Office of Planning and Project Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 14, 2014.
  4. "Metro announces Inauguration service plans, station closures | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  5. "Le métro et les tournages" (PDF). STM. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
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