This is Washington DC. With a metro population of 8.2 million, this US city is connected
by a network of commuter rail lines, which service 60 stations across 15 counties and
six independent cities. Consisting of five lines and 277 miles of track, the system connects
various suburbs around Washington, with trains running from three states to DC’s Union
Station. But how did the system grow from its original stations to the network it is
today? My name’s Zach, and this is the Evolution of the Network.
Commuter trains in Maryland were incorporated under the MARC brand in January 1984, unifying
service across the state. The Penn line travelled north from Washington DC’s Union Station,
servicing eight intermediate stops to Baltimore’s Penn Station. Nearby, the Camden line also
travelled to Baltimore, serving seven intermediate stops to Camden Station. The Brunswick line
travelled into western Maryland and West Virginia, servicing 14 intermediate stops to Martinsburg.
In April of that year, a new consolidated station was opened on the Penn Line at West
Baltimore, replacing two nearby stations at Edmondson and Frederick.
A new station was opened on the Brunswick line in July 1987, with Metropolitan Grove
station beginning service. On the Penn Line, service was revised in February
1989, with the station at Bowie being closed. In its place, a new station was opened at
Bowie State, which included additional parking facilities.
On the Camden line, a new station was also opened in July at Savage, increasing parking
supply for the route.
Service on the Penn line was extended in May 1991, with four new stations opening east
to Perryville. Unlike the rest of the Penn line, service on this section is provided
in rush hours only, along with limited off peak trips to Martin Airport.
Commuter rail service in Virginia began in 1992 with the launch of the Virginia Railway
Express. In June, service began on the Manassas line, running south from Washington’s Union
Station to Broad Run. One month later in July, the Fredericksburg line was launched, following
the existing route to Alexandria. The line then split from the Manassas line, servicing
six new stations to Fredericksburg. A new station was added to the Camden Line
in May 1993, with service beginning to Greenbelt. This station provided an interchange with
the Washington Metro, which began servicing the stop later that year.
In January 1994, Berwyn station on the Camden line was closed, given its close proximity
to the Greenbelt and College Park stations. A new station was also opened further north
on the line at Laurel Racetrack, adding additional parking facilities for the route. In December,
a second station was opened on the Camden Line at Muirkirk, further increasing parking
supply for commuters. In January 1995, a new station was opened
at Lorton on the Fredericksburg line, increasing access to nearby developments.
Camden line service was further improved in July 1996, with a new station opening at Dorsey.
The stop replaced the nearby station at Elkridge, with the new station providing improved access
to a nearby highway. Later that month, a second infill station opened on the Fredericksburg
line, with service beginning to Franconia-Springfield. In December 2001, a new branch of the Brunswick
line began service, with two new stations opening to Frederick. The line branched off
from the existing Brunswick route after Dickerson, with trains travelling along the lightly used
freight line to the new stations. In November 2015, a one-stop extension of
the Fredericksburg line began, with trains extending to Spotslvania. The new station
helped to relieve parking congestion in downtown Fredericksburg, with the new station being
located in an outlying area. This brings us to the
Washington DC commuter rail maps that we know today.
That was the evolution of Washington DC’s
commuter rail network, giving us the five lines that we know today. If you haven’t
already, be sure to watch our videos on the evolution of Washington and Baltimore’s
Metro networks, which you can access by clicking the button in the top right corner. Don’t
forget to leave a like if you enjoyed this video, and comment down below to join in the
discussion. My name’s Zach, and I’ll be Vanishing Underground, until the next one.