Orange Line (WMATA) - Route

Route

Starting at its western termini at the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU station in Virginia, the tracks run on the median strip of Interstate 66 until they enter a tunnel under Fairfax Drive just before the Ballston-MU station. Although originally proposed to follow I-66 through Arlington, city planners successfully argued that the line be relocated to Fairfax Drive, which has since stimulated high rise development along the line's route. At the Clarendon station, the tunnel shifts to Wilson Blvd. and 16th Street North. The tunnel then turns north and merges with the Blue Line just before entering the Rossyln station which is located under North Lynn Street. The tunnel continues under the Potomac River and bends to the east to travel under I Street NW in the District of Columbia.

The tunnel continues east under I Street and between the Farragut West and McPherson Square stations there is a non-revenue branch track that connect with the Red Line. The tunnel then turns south under 12th Street Northwest and enters the lower level of the Metro Center station. After the Smithsonian station, the tunnel turns east under D Street Southwest and then southeast under Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast. At the Potomac Avenue station, the tunnel briefly travels under G Street Southeast and then turns northwest under Potomac Avenue with a turn to the north to travel under 19th Street Southeast for the Stadium-Armory station. The tunnel then travels under the RFK Stadium parking lots to surface near Benning Road. The elevated tracks follow Benning Road across the Anacostia River and then split from the Blue Line. At this point, a pocket rail will be used as the eastern terminus of the Silver Line.

The above ground tracks continue along DC Route 295 between the Minnesota Avenue and Deanwood stations and then follow the CSX/Amtrak railroad in Prince Georges County, Maryland until the eastern terminus at New Carrolton. The route includes a train yard adjacent to the West Falls Church station. Orange Line service travels along the entirety of the K Route (from the terminus at Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to the C & K junction just south of Rosslyn), part of the C Route (from the C & K junction just south of Rosslyn to Metro Center), and the entire D Route (from Metro Center to New Carrollton).