View source for Franconia–Springfield station

{{Short description|Washington Metro station}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox station
| name               = Franconia–Springfield
| style              = Washington Metro
| symbol             = blue
| symbol_location    = Washington
| image              = Franc-Springd platform, inbound end.jpg
| image_caption      = Metro trains at Franconia–Springfield in June 2008
| address            = 6880 Frontier Drive
| borough            = [[Springfield, Virginia]]
| country            = United States
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|45|58|N|77|10|07|W|type:railwaystation_region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}
| owned              = [[Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]]
| line               = [[RF&P Subdivision]]
| platform           = 1 [[island platform]] (Metro) <br /> 2 [[side platform]]s (VRE)
| tracks             = 4 (2 for each service)
| structure          = At-grade
| bus_stands         = 8
| connections        = {{Unbulleted list
   | {{bus icon}} [[Fairfax Connector]]: 231, 232, 301, 305, 308, 310, 321, 322, 334, 335, 340, 341, 350, 351, 352, 353, 371, 401, 402, 494
   | {{bus icon}} [[OmniRide]]: Prince William Metro Express
   | {{bus icon}} [[Greyhound Lines]]
   | {{bus icon}} [[BestBus]]
   }}
| accessible         = Yes
| bicycle            = [[Capital Bikeshare]], 36&nbsp;[[Bicycle parking rack|racks]], 20&nbsp;[[Bicycle locker|lockers]]
| parking            = 5,069 spaces
| code               = J03 (WMATA)
| zone               = Zone 3 (VRE)
| opened             = 1995 (VRE)<br />{{start date|1997|06|29}} (Metro)<ref name="June 27, 1997">{{Cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/408341889 |title=At last, Metro reaches end of the Blue Line; Franconia-Springfield station to begin service on Sunday |last=Tousignant |first=Marylou |date=June 27, 1997 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B1 |access-date=April 2, 2018 |archive-date=April 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402101600/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/doc/408341889.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rebuilt            = 2019 (Metro)
| services           = {{Adjacent stations
|system1=Virginia Railway Express
|line1=Fredericksburg|left1=Lorton|right1=Alexandria
|system2=Washington Metro
|line2=Blue|right2=Van Dorn Street|to-right2=Largo

}}
| other_services_header = Former services
| other_services_collapsible = yes
| other_services     = {{Adjacent stations|system=Amtrak|line=Northeast Regional|left=Quantico|right=Alexandria
 |system12=Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad|line12=Main Line|left12=Accotin|right12=Alexandria
|system2=Washington Metro|
|line2=Yellow|right2=Van Dorn Street|to-right2=Greenbelt}}
| route_map          = {{Routemap|inline=yes|legend=no|map=
numN280\\uSTRf!~MFADEg\uSTRg!~MFADEg~~{{rmri|U}} {{stl|WMATA|Van Dorn St}}
b\uABZg2\uABZg3
b\uABZg+1\uABZg+4
b\uPSTR(L)\uPSTR(R)
b\uPSTR(L)\uPSTR(R)
b\uPSTR(L)\uPSTR(R)
b\uSHI2gl\uSHI2gr
b\udSTR\udSTR\udSTR
b\udENDEe\udENDEe\udENDEe
}}
| map_state          = collapsed
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-custom    = {{Infobox mapframe |shape=none |line=none |marker=rail |marker-color=#000 |zoom=15 }}
}}

'''Franconia–Springfield station''' is a [[Washington Metro]] [[rapid transit]] station and [[Virginia Railway Express]] [[commuter rail]] station located in [[Springfield, Virginia]], United States. The station is the southwestern [[train station#Terminus|terminus]] of the Metro [[Blue Line (Washington Metro)|Blue Line]] and an intermediate station on the VRE [[Fredericksburg Line]]. It is also a major bus terminal for [[Fairfax Connector]] buses, plus other local and intercity bus routes. The station has one [[island platform]] serving the two Metro tracks, plus two [[side platform]]s serving the [[RF&P Subdivision]] on which the Fredericksburg Line runs.

Located in a suburban area near [[Interstate 95|I-95]], the station is primarily used by commuters from more distant suburbs. Its parking garage is the largest on the Metro system, with 5,069 spaces. With an average of 2,491 daily riders in 2023, Franconia–Springfield was the 41st-busiest Metro station and the ninth-busiest in Virginia.<ref name="Data">{{cite web |title=Metrorail Ridership Summary |url=https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/ridership-portal/Metrorail-Ridership-Summary.cfm |publisher=Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |access-date=February 8, 2024}}</ref>

The VRE stop opened in 1995, followed by the Metro station on June 29, 1997. From 2003 to 2010, the station was also served by [[Amtrak]] ''[[Northeast Regional]]'' [[intercity rail]] trains.

==History==
[[File:Franc-Springfield vre approaching.jpg|thumb|left|A VRE train pulling in to Franconia–Springfield VRE station]]

Prior to construction by WMATA, Franconia–Springfield station was the site of Franconia Station, a standard railroad station built by the [[Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad]]. It was built in 1870 and demolished in 1952.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.trainweb.org/rf&p/archive/stations/stations.htm |title=Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac |website=TrainWeb}}</ref> Original Metro plans called for separate stations for Franconia and Springfield, but before 1979 – due to the expense and complications of running separate branches – plans had changed to combine the two stations into one. In 1979 the "Franconia" station was renamed "Franconia–Springfield".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Eisen |first1=Jack |title=Zoological Park Subway Stop Name, 9 Others Changed by Metro Board |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=7 Aug 1979}}</ref>

In 1981, WMATA held a series of public hearings to discuss issues related to the expansion of the then Yellow Line to Springfield by 1986, although the project was unfunded at that time.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/147410190 |title=Public hearing set on Springfield Metrorail plans |last=Hodge |first=Paul |date=February 26, 1981 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=VA7}}</ref> By 1987, the [[Northern Virginia Transportation Commission]] began to evaluate whether or not state funding would be necessary to complete the station as federal funding was not guaranteed at that time.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/306824618 |title=Virginia panel to study extending Metro; State funds may be sought to finance Yellow Line to Springfield |last=Henderson |first=Nell |date=January 11, 1987 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B5}}</ref> By 1991, funding for the expansion was secured and plans for the station, parking garage, and other commuter facilities were approved by the Metro board.<ref name="June 14, 1991">{{Cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/307404947 |title=Metro plans to build big transportation center at Franconia |last=Fehr |first=Stephen C. |date=June 14, 1991 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=C3}}</ref>

The VRE platform opened in 1995, the second infill station on the system.<ref name="chronology">{{Cite web |url=http://www.vre.org/vre/assets/File/VRE-Chronology.pdf |title=Chronology of the Virginia Railway Express: 1964 to Present |last=Taube, Richard K. |date=August 11, 2008 |publisher=Virginia Railway Express |access-date=November 16, 2015}}</ref> The Metrorail station opened on June 29, 1997; its opening coincided with the completion of {{convert|3.3|mi|km}} of rail west of the [[Van Dorn Street (Washington Metro)|Van Dorn Street]] station.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wmata.com/about/upload/Metro-Facts-2017-FINAL.pdf |title=Sequence of Metrorail openings |date=2017 |publisher=WMATA |page=3 |access-date=April 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702201723/https://www.wmata.com/about/upload/Metro-Facts-2017-FINAL.pdf |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="June 27, 1997" /> The final cost for both the station and rail expansion was $175 million.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/408337074 |title=All aboard Metro at Springfield; Fanfare, new features mark station opening |last=Shear |first=Michael D. |date=June 30, 1997 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B1}}</ref>

On October 10, 2003, due to increases in ridership on both the Metro and VRE lines, WMATA opened an additional parking garage on the premises for park-and-ride users, offering an additional 1,000 parking spaces, and bringing the total to 5,100 spaces.<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.wmata.com/about/news/pressreleasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2879 |title=Metro opens new parking structure at Franconia–Springfield Metrorail station |date=October 9, 2003 |publisher=April 1, 2018}}</ref>

On June 25, 2017, Yellow Line trains stopped serving the station due to the elimination of Rush+, which is part of major changes to the Metrorail system.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wmata.com/service/status/details/upload/June25FareServiceChanges_PrintableBrochure_English.pdf |title=June 25 Fare Service Changes Printable Brochure |date=2017 |website=WMATA}}</ref>

In May 2018, Metro announced an extensive renovation of platforms at twenty stations across the system. The Blue and Yellow Lines south of [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station]], including the Franconia–Springfield station, would be closed from May to September 2019.<ref>{{cite news | title=Metro wants to rebuild 20 station platforms over three years, creating SafeTrack-like disruptions | newspaper=Washington Post | date=May 7, 2018 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/metro-wants-to-rebuild-20-station-platforms-in-three-years-creating-safetrack-like-disruptions/2018/05/07/f7c19dcc-5164-11e8-abd8-265bd07a9859_story.html | access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Metro plans 'summer shutdown' on Blue, Yellow lines next year | website=WTOP | date=May 7, 2018 | url=https://wtop.com/tracking-metro-24-7/2018/05/metro-plans-summer-shutdown-on-blue-yellow-line-next-year/ | access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref>

Between September 10 and November 5, 2022, Franconia–Springfield was closed due to the [[Potomac Yard station]] tie-in, closing all stations south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station. Shuttle buses were provided throughout the shutdown.<ref>{{cite web |title=Metro announces travel alternatives for major Blue and Yellow Line construction this fall {{!}} WMATA |url=https://www.wmata.com/about/news/Blue-Yellow-fall-travel-alternatives.cfm |website=www.wmata.com |access-date=15 June 2022}}</ref>

==Station layout==
{{stack||[[File:Franconia Springfield station fare lobby, May 2003.jpg|thumb|The station's mezzanine]]}}
Access to the station is provided by an elevated walkway connecting the parking garage and [[bus bay]]s to the platforms. Blue Line trains stop at an [[island platform]] below the elevated walkway, with fare control on the same level as the walkway. VRE trains stop at two [[side platform]]s adjacent to the Metro tracks.

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{WMATA links}}
*[https://www.vre.org/stations/ VRE - Stations]

{{Washington Metro stations navbox}}
{{VRE}}
{{Amtrak Virginia stations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franconia-Springfield station}}
[[Category:Former Amtrak stations in Virginia]]
[[Category:Stations on the Blue Line (Washington Metro)]]
[[Category:Bus stations in Virginia]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Fairfax County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Virginia Railway Express stations]]
[[Category:Washington Metro stations in Virginia]]
[[Category:Transportation in Fairfax County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1995]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in Virginia]]
[[Category:Brick buildings and structures in Virginia]]
[[Category:Fredericksburg Line]]