It's clean, it's (comparatively) quiet, it's efficient, it's (relatively) inexpensive and it's safe. Take it from a native New Yorker who lived the nightmare of commuting in the sewer we call the subway, the DC metro is great. When you ride it, it gives you the impression that you're actually traveling in a developed country!
The one thing NYC has that I haven’t seen anywhere else is express trains. I wish other cities had them. I’m not saying that the NYC system hasn’t been badly neglected, it has but the design is quite good.
@@nathanlewis42 Bullsh1t. I invite you to travel a downtown A train. Get on at 168th St. and as it pulls out of station, with no forewarning whatsoever, the announcement comes that it's going local. You're now at least 1/2 hour late for work if your job's at 42nd or anywhere further south. Or grab an downtown 4 or 5 from Grand Central. Smell the foul B.O. or farts from the guy next to you as you're jammed in like a sardine until you're halfway into Brooklyn. It's a nightmare. Btw, guess where I'm from.
Once upon a time, Metro rail traveling to Dulles Airport was considered a pipe dream. Now, it's an epic realization. The WMATA rail system is magnificent in appearance, engineering, and ingenuity. A salute to those who planned, built, and operate it. Thank you for posting and safe travels to you.
It was no "pipe dream". This might come as a surprise to you. The 1968 Adopted Area Regional System map showed the line to Dulles Airport as future. The columns that support the elevated that carry the trains over the westbound lanes VA I-66 built in the early 2010s were built on piles and foundations that were built in the early 1980s at the same time the segment from Ballston to Vienna was being built.
I have to say that Metro has aged very well! I'm from NYC, and I remember it being built when I was a kid in the early 70s visiting DC. And in the early 80s when I worked in the area I took Metro all the time. I'd say that it looks even better and more modern now than it did 40 years ago!!! 😀
it's a standard now that is actually copied around the world. Look at the Sofia Bulgaria Metro system, and some of the ones in China, like in Guangzhou as well.
Imagine that! Having a Metro/Subway/Regional Rail/Intercity Rail, and being able to ride it to the airport. This metropolitan New Yorker is jealous. Kudos to Denver as well.
It took a long time to have this built in DC too, despite planning for this line originating when the connecting highway to the airport was constructed Here’s hoping for more rail transit projects all across the United States :)
I agree with you that having a metro rail connection at major airport is awesome. I live in the Bay Area (Northern California) and our main commuter train BART directly connects to SFO and has a direct transfer to a “people mover” tram that serves Oakland International Airport. I have choices as which airport I want to use.
DC Metro is spectacular. The Stations are beautiful, the trains are beautiful, and the line layout is one of the best and most usable in the entire country. The planning and future-proofing that went into this system is really superb. DC should be proud of its bad ass transit system that sets a gold standard for the US.
I commute using Metro. As someone who lived in Europe, I think it easily ranks as one of the most, if not the most, robust metro rail system in this country. It’s impressive even by global standards. They just opened a new station on the Yellow line and are continuing to upgrade infrastructure and fleet of trains.
I visited DC earlier this summer and was pleasantly surprised at how well the system has grown and continues to grow. They recently opened the silver line extension, new infill stations at Potomac yard, work continues on the Purple line. The 8000 series cars are helping build a new factory and Transit Oriented Development has spawned around the stations and even the streetcar. The metro stations around the city match global standards and are very efficient to navigate through and well maintained and safe. The system does have a few problems with budget shortfall but most systems in the world run at a loss. The circulator and the Dc bus system were also a pleasant surprise. The area around the Capitol and the touristy spots has gotten much better in terms of transit connections with better frequencies and I also spotted more bike infrastructure coming along in some places, overall very positive development. DC is the most “European” of American cities and I like where things are heading.
As someone who lives in nyc, I got to say, the dc metro is definitely up there with the nyc subway. What I love about DC Metro is that it actually goes outside of dc to the suburbs and even goes to 2 different states! I also like the seats and how its very clean
The subway is a stinky, inefficient, rat infested sh1t hole. I spent nine years commuting from Washington Heights to Wall St. or across to Jersey City. Not only is it a foul, underground slum, but it's also a crap shoot as to whether you're even going to get there or not. Get on an "A" at 168th and then hear the announcement that the train will now be riding local.... as if your having to be somewhere on time meant anything to the clowns who ran that system.
As a longtime DMV resident and native, I've always kind of taken for granted the marvels of our Metro. As someone who has traveled abroad and around the country, I can say that DC metro is easily among the best railway transit systems I've seen.
Thank you! Next video will be a bicycle silent vlog to Gravely Point to watch planes land Also, “silent vlog” is a great label I can use for future videos :)
I spent a year in DC back in 2015, best year of my life. That Metro is so iconic, I loved it! I lived in Arlington and the Metro was close by, I used it all the time.
Yes they release a few special cards! There are also Presidential Inauguration cards, Nationals/Capitals Sport Championships cards and WMATA anniversary cards :)
I miss DC. I lived in Nova until moving to Seattle last year and never got to see the silver line completed. I always loved taking the metro to the mall or Georgetown and just bike around
@@Steve-tj9on yeah I'd normally take it to federal triangle or foggy bottom and just bike around the mall or georgetown. Hopefully we'll finally get a stop with bloop tho
I lived in Washington DC after college and have always been a big fan of the Metro. It’s just so well done, so clean and efficient! Your video is a testament to a real passion for such an amazing transportation resource!
8:53 That stretch of highway is the Dulles Toll Road, with the center 2 lanes dedicated to airport access and those are toll-free. Dulles Greenway is a privately-built and -owned highway that connects with Dulles Toll Road at Dulles Airport and goes west to Leesburg, VA.
This was a great video. Thank you! I used to live in dc area before moving to seattle and loved using the metro system. Seeing the wegmans in Tyson’s on your video brought back good memories. The best food market in the us.
Expanding Metro to Dulles was included in the original plans for the airport sixty years ago when Metro was still in the planning stages. The Dulles Access Road, which runs beside the train, is built and maintained by the Airport Authority.
Love this! I'm a former D.C.-area resident now in Los Angeles who last rode Metrorail in 2014 (just after the first leg of the Silver Line opened, though I never was able to use it). It's a stunning system, a key part in Washington's shift from a sleepy semi-southern burg into a truly world-class city. LA's Metro is decidedly utilitarian by comparison, though it will continue to improve by the time the Olympics arrive in 2028. I enjoyed using D.C.'s Metro to watch my beloved Nats in the now-revitalized Navy Yard area, and look forward to the Purple Line opening (OK, so it's not technically part of Metro), providing better travel across the Maryland suburbs and making the University of Maryland far more accessible. Again, a splendid job.
Wow I love the Metro and didn't realize they were building a line to Dulles. I used to always make sure to fly to National just so I could get a train to where I needed to go. The stations and coverage in DC is some of the best in the USA. My favorite commuter train system for sure.
I'll be using this line for the first time this summer and this video let me know what to expect, so thank you. Plus now I know to wait for one of the nicer trains! I can't believe an airport the size of IAD went this long without a single rail connection though, what a travesty.
Have a great trip :) As a tip, you can see the arrivals and departure for IAD on this website: www.wmata.com/js/nexttrain/nexttrain.html?stationId=N10&label=Washington%20Dulles%20International%20Airport#N10|Washington%20Dulles%20International%20Airport The new and old trains are both running at 8 car capacity. The new train will not run at 6 car capacity
I live in Baltimore now but I grew up in the DC Metroplex (on the MD side). Looking back I realize how much I took WMATA for granted. On my next Trans-Atlantic flight I will purposely ensure my flight departs out of Dulles so that I have an excuse to ride the Metro to the airport. I can't wait.
I love our lovely coffered ceilings and hexagonal tiles... my only wish is that they'd make the tiles a bit more textured and less slippery. Funny, seeing the stations everyday, we 'DC dwellers' take their beauty & neatness for granted, and having traveled and seen [and smelled] some of the beautiful stations of the world, DC Metro is still my favorite!
I grew up in the D.C. area and now live in London. If you ever go to London ride the new Elizabeth line. It’s amazing how they have copied the D.C. metro’s design on the Elizabeth line.
Thanks for showcasing the newly opened Silver Line extension. And Washington Dulles is one cool airport I need to visit one day, most probably for layover. Very nicely filmed for both. 😀
Yes finally, I remember taking cabs or buses from IAD to the city center many years ago. DCA Airport was really the better choice(however, only on domestics, not really an option for those flying in from Europe or Asia). Climate, Architecture, Transportation - compared to most other cities in the U.S. , the capital really is a good deal.
Harry Weese, the Architect for Metro, was a close friend of Eero's, both serving out fellowships together at Cranbrook. They worked together on a few early projects in Chicago with Elliel, Eero's father and the Director of Cranbrook. Cesar Pelli was an architect in Eero's office, and the one that succeeded it, before going out on his own to design the Reagan Terminal at National Airport. DCA is National Airport.
Amazing info! Reagan National Airport also has inspiring architecture, and the corresponding Metro station at the airport somewhat imitates the design of the terminal awnings :)
Haven't flown to/thru IAD in decades, last time they still had these pods on wheels that transported passengers from the terminal straight to the planes. But IAD's architecture was still stunning with that 60s flair and very few retouches.
Nice! Those are the mobile lounges you are referring to. Kind of like buses, but not really. The design of those are very unique and deserve their own video :)
@@SoloTravelPOV Do they still use them at IAD? I must have read somewhere a long time ago they were about to be phased out...yes, I was on one of those once and it felt sort of amusement park ride without the thrill factor.
Super epic that DC's two main airports are now connected by rail just wish there was better frequency. The silver line spends like 45 minutes away from any other line.😊
Yes I agree 🙂 Maybe the next expansion will include the Silver Line Express plans found here: www.wmata.com/initiatives/plans/BOS-Capacity-Reliability-Study/BOS-Concepts.cfm Thanks for watching :)
I rode the DC Metro for the first time in March 2018. I was attending an event downtown and wanted to stay closer to the airport so I booked the Hyatt Regency Reston. The extension wasn't open yet of course but it wasn't far to the nearest station. My only complaint was (like a lot of cities) I couldn't buy the disability smart card through the mail. It had to be in person. I always find this odd since it makes it logistically a bit of a catch-22 for visitors. You'd think they'd want to encourage tourists, not challenge them. Fortunately, there was an office where I could buy it in person within walking distance of the hotel so I was good to go. Otherwise, it's a great system! Excellent signage and clean.
@@SoloTravelPOV Thanks! It was excellent. Haven't been back since but hope to. BTW a few months ago I was able to get disabled smart cards through the mail for both Chicago and New York for trips I was making this year.
@larry4111 - I had the same problem when I was in DC in June 2023. I bought a one-day pass instead. I'm from suburban Philly and got my NYC disability pass through the mail.
Great video, I was amazed at the lack of people- especially at the airport. Charlotte (an American hub) is always busy. The arrivals/departures is crazy- especially now with the terminal construction. Liked the focus on the architecture, the Metro and Dulles are stunning.
Thanks for watching :) This was filmed on the evening of Memorial Day so that could have been why it was less busy. Charlotte is also ranked the 10th busiest US airport while Dulles is 28th!
Just flew thru CLT last week and lived in Charlotte a few years. The airport's transformation in progress looks amazing but as a hub still beset by more flight-handling capacity. Still nothing like you see here to get to/from CLT and downtown Charlotte.
Nicely done. I have not been to DC or used the system in 20 years, so it was nice to see it again. Loved using the METRO. I remember, as a kid, and reading that it cost $140,00 per foot in 1976. Imagine what that would cost today, and for the future expansion it hopes to do by 2040
This is great news. I grew up in the D.C. area. I come back to see family every couple of years. I didn't know this was extension was even planned. I'm looking forward to my next visit.
@@SoloTravelPOV Btw I just visted. The weather was great and I took the metro from Silver Spring to Dulles and it was great. Thanks for your video. I don't think I would have known about it otherwise.
@@SoloTravelPOV Really? Wow. Your's is the best reply to a comment I have received. The weather was great, I sometimes wonder why I left and the ride out to Dulles airport was quite nice. It was also nice to hear them call out old, familiar stations like L'Enfant plaza.
Well here in Boston our transit is broken fiscal mismanagement and being the first in the nation subway system led its down fall. There are some routes where you can actually get to the next stop quicker than our subway lines. That’s how slow it is. So commuters don’t ride it. They either call an Uber or Lyft to get to their destinations . Causing major traffic on the arteries of Boston. Traffic is insane, Kudos to DC for nice clean and refreshing look, not dirty. It looks futuristic well for when it was built
It's beautiful; however, as someone whose rode it, the lack of skip-stop service is a KILLER. I've calculated that for someone living at the eastern terminus of the Silver Line, it's actually faster to drive to Dulles during off-peak hours than it is to take the Metro. Metro should have built a third track as part of the Silverline extension and ran a Dulles Flyer skip-stop between East Falls Church and Dulles. Then, if they ever built the second cross city tunnel, the 3rd track could tie into that tunnel, and offer express service across DC. I love Metro in DC, but the lack of Skip Stop compared to NYC really holds back DC's services, especially as Metro shifts to become something to be used for getting around, not just to bring people from the suburbs into DC and back.
I agree and it is a unique transit system in that regard. WMATA did recently propose a skip stop/express service on the Silver Line, but only through a new Rosslyn Station and West Falls Church. You can see that proposal map under the section - Silver Line Express in Virginia on this page: www.wmata.com/initiatives/plans/BOS-Capacity-Reliability-Study/BOS-Concepts.cfm
I was also hoping they'd do an express service when this opened. At least from major stations like rosslyn and metro center and direct (no stops) to dulles.. I timed one of my trips here from rosslyn to dulles and it was about 45mins on a not so busy day.. by US, standards, DC metro has got to be up there.. internationally, not so much, it's still got a lot to learn from metro systems in EU and Asia..
@@RGisOutOfOffice I think the D.C. metro system is modelled on the Paris metro but the Paris metro had a long head start and it’s probably a lot better funded.
@@RGisOutOfOffice agreed. I landed in Dulles, and caught an amtrak train in downtown. Metro was offline on the silver line, and they were bussing us to Rosslyn. On a quiet sunday, the trip to Rosslyn by bus only took about 25 minutes vs 45, but I imagine during normal weekday, the bus service would have been agonizingly slow, stuck in the traffic
7000 Series look and feel like one of the NTTs of the NYC Subway, and the propulsion of the WMATA 7000 Series, which is the first of the NTTs, sounds almost like the R179s
This was filmed on a Sunday before a holiday so many people were away from the city. New York is America’s biggest city by far so that makes sense! Washington DC Metro is busiest during Fourth of July and weekday mornings for government workers
Wow!! Great train trip. Our suburban trains here in Melbourne Australia are also called Metro, though we have yet to have a train line to the airport here.
The Georgetown neighborhood opted out of a Metro station in the 1970s believing the neighborhood would be flooded with visitors from other areas of the city....what it has to show for that mistake is standstill traffic on M St. and Wisconsin Ave.
Cool video!!!!! I've always found it fascinating to ride a subway in between the expressway. "Like in Chicago" where the Red line runs in between the "Dan Ryan expressway". When I used to live in (NYC) I would ride the JFK airtrain, which runs in between the "Van Wyck expressway" but at a higher grade level though. Even so, the ride is so spectacular but speaking of JFK @ 10:14 when you mentioned about "Die Hard", the movie "The Terminal" (with Tom Hanks) was actually filmed at an old hanger in Los Angeles because a lot of people think that it was filmed at the "actual" terminal 4 at Kennedy. Because of the constant heavy traffic that goes on there it would be impossible to do, so I'm guessing the same for Die Hard 2.
Also, Eero Saarinen also designed the old "Batwing Terminal 5 at JFK" as well. Which is now a hotel and they have an old school plane that sits in the back of it that's used for a lounge bar.
Wow nice facts! I didn’t know that about the Terminal movie, and I was just reading about it the other day :) Also I really want to check out the JFK TWA hotel now. It looks architecturally amazing!
It was really a cool film and the research that I did on the movie, it said that the escalators were re-used for the film "that came from defunct malls". With the Batwing hotel, for sure and it also has a swimming pool on the top of it as well. While swimming you could still see the planes takeoff and land at a nice distance!!!! The hotel itself is not that spacious but it still look's comfortable though. However, prepare to have some money in your pocket when you stay there!!!! "lol"
maybe a minute detail, but the clicking noises those doors make when opening and closing are somewhat similair to my hometowns trams, also made by alstom in the zeroes
9:10 the Metro trains do not "regularly approach" 75 MPH. The operating manual specifies a top speed of 59 MPH except on the Green Line north of Georgia Ave - Petworth and south of Anacostia station. I have been on a Metro train approaching 70 MPH only a handful of times Though I do wish the operating speeds on the Orange and Silver lines west of Ballston were regularly raised so that the trains could "own" most cars :)
Thanks! I added a correction in the description. Maybe we'll get to those speeds one day :) And if you work for WMATA, thank you for your commitment! I'm sure the operating manual is an interesting read
Lived in the D.C. area in the early 80's. The Metro system was new and one of its "bugs" was a very noisy braking system which screeched real bad. Waiting in the stations, you had to plug your ears, the noise was so bad. But they fixed it eventually. System is a lot more extensive now. Used to drive to Dulles and the "access" road was lined with beautiful trees. On a trip to D.C. in the late 90's I was shocked that the access road was developed by large buildings. Most of the trees were gone. Glad Metro can take you to Dulles now. Northern Virginia has grown so much since my time there. Question: How close to Wolf Trap does Metro get? Are there busses from the nearest station?
I agree the development of Northern Virginia has been rapid and impressive! I was surprised that there is no Wolf Trap stop directly, but you can take a 574 bus from Spring Hill, then to a 23 minute walk :)
@@SoloTravelPOV Sounds like quite a trek to Wolf Trap. If I ever get back to the D.C. area, and go to Wolf Trap, I'll drive...😊 ... Metro skipped Georgetown too. No metro transportation system is perfect but all in all Washington's is pretty good.
they use now what's called "dynamic braking" It's sort of like what a hybrid car uses. The poles are reversed on the motors, so they turn into generators, and put power back into the rail. Friction braking is only used for emergency stopping and for the last little bit of braking when stopping, and holding the train in position.
@@robcohen5585 I actually work at Wolf Trap. During performance season, Fairfax Connector runs an express bus from McClean station on the Silver Line in Tysons. They run every 20 minutes from about 2 hours before a concert, and the final bus arrives 10 minutes after the show starts. It drops people off directly at the Filene Center. During the show, two buses (three or four on the busiest of nights, depending on how many people took the bus to Wolf Trap) will wait at the Filene Center, and they leave 20 minutes after the performance ends. Taking public transit to Wolf Trap to see a concert is totally doable.
Trust me, the mobile lounges at Dulles were not all they were cracked up to be. The Metro is an incredible transit system, something that should be a model for other large American cities. Unfortunately for me, it's really only in a place where I would never want to live again.
I’m not sure the mobile lounges ever offered cocktails, but wouldn’t that have been great? If you’ve found any information or pictures documenting that they did, please post in comments. Great video.
I'm always fascinated by transit systems that install electronic wait time signage that is not capable of displaying the destinations in full. "FRNCONIA"
![🇺🇸 Amtrak’s Capitol Limited - Sleeper Train from East Coast Through Rust Belt [Silent Vlog]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-kkweq5yXpw/mqdefault.jpg)
New vid out now! USSR History on the Trans Mongolian Railway - ruclips.net/video/p3J0Pz89gWI/видео.html
It's clean, it's (comparatively) quiet, it's efficient, it's (relatively) inexpensive and it's safe. Take it from a native New Yorker who lived the nightmare of commuting in the sewer we call the subway, the DC metro is great. When you ride it, it gives you the impression that you're actually traveling in a developed country!
The one thing NYC has that I haven’t seen anywhere else is express trains. I wish other cities had them. I’m not saying that the NYC system hasn’t been badly neglected, it has but the design is quite good.
@@nathanlewis42 Bullsh1t. I invite you to travel a downtown A train. Get on at 168th St. and as it pulls out of station, with no forewarning whatsoever, the announcement comes that it's going local. You're now at least 1/2 hour late for work if your job's at 42nd or anywhere further south. Or grab an downtown 4 or 5 from Grand Central. Smell the foul B.O. or farts from the guy next to you as you're jammed in like a sardine until you're halfway into Brooklyn. It's a nightmare. Btw, guess where I'm from.
Express trains on DC metro would be incredible
@@nathanlewis42 also 24/7 service. As nice as DC metro is, it is not a transit system that can support a world-class metropolis like NYC.
Once upon a time, Metro rail traveling to Dulles Airport was considered a pipe dream. Now, it's an epic realization. The WMATA rail system is magnificent in appearance, engineering, and ingenuity. A salute to those who planned, built, and operate it. Thank you for posting and safe travels to you.
🫡🫡🫡
Thank you and safe travels to you!
It was no "pipe dream". This might come as a surprise to you. The 1968 Adopted Area Regional System map showed the line to Dulles Airport as future. The columns that support the elevated that carry the trains over the westbound lanes VA I-66 built in the early 2010s were built on piles and foundations that were built in the early 1980s at the same time the segment from Ballston to Vienna was being built.
@@SandBoxJohn So, as the Orange line was being built, provisions were made for building the line extension to Dulles Airport.
I have to say that Metro has aged very well! I'm from NYC, and I remember it being built when I was a kid in the early 70s visiting DC. And in the early 80s when I worked in the area I took Metro all the time. I'd say that it looks even better and more modern now than it did 40 years ago!!! 😀
Sometimes a vintage look never goes out of style ;)
it's a standard now that is actually copied around the world. Look at the Sofia Bulgaria Metro system, and some of the ones in China, like in Guangzhou as well.
Imagine that! Having a Metro/Subway/Regional Rail/Intercity Rail, and being able to ride it to the airport. This metropolitan New Yorker is jealous. Kudos to Denver as well.
It took a long time to have this built in DC too, despite planning for this line originating when the connecting highway to the airport was constructed
Here’s hoping for more rail transit projects all across the United States :)
I agree with you that having a metro rail connection at major airport is awesome. I live in the Bay Area (Northern California) and our main commuter train BART directly connects to SFO and has a direct transfer to a “people mover” tram that serves Oakland International Airport. I have choices as which airport I want to use.
And DFW, ATL SFO MIA and CLE
And PHL
Metro's connecting to airports are standard in the US big cities. It's connecting the city itself that counts.
DC Metro is spectacular. The Stations are beautiful, the trains are beautiful, and the line layout is one of the best and most usable in the entire country. The planning and future-proofing that went into this system is really superb. DC should be proud of its bad ass transit system that sets a gold standard for the US.
It really is great! As an often commuter, I just wish some of the stations had shorter escalators to access the trains :)
I agree, it’s fantastic for an American station
DC metro is somewhat more clean and stable than nyc, chicogo subways. still bechind asian countries, japan, china, south korea, russia.
I commute using Metro. As someone who lived in Europe, I think it easily ranks as one of the most, if not the most, robust metro rail system in this country. It’s impressive even by global standards. They just opened a new station on the Yellow line and are continuing to upgrade infrastructure and fleet of trains.
I agree it’s great! Here’s hoping it continues to improve and be recognized on a global scale
The new 8000 car designs are looking pretty cool :)
For sure and just like the Metro, the "BART" in San Francisco is also a fare based system as well!!!
It has financing problems and severe safety issues....the architectural style is known as Brutalist..a style shared by the FBI headquarters
Europe is not a country and they do no have all the same standards everywhere there
@@allentoyokawa9068 Reading comprehension…try it sometime and come back when you’ve correctly comprehended what I wrote.
I visited DC earlier this summer and was pleasantly surprised at how well the system has grown and continues to grow. They recently opened the silver line extension, new infill stations at Potomac yard, work continues on the Purple line. The 8000 series cars are helping build a new factory and Transit Oriented Development has spawned around the stations and even the streetcar. The metro stations around the city match global standards and are very efficient to navigate through and well maintained and safe. The system does have a few problems with budget shortfall but most systems in the world run at a loss. The circulator and the Dc bus system were also a pleasant surprise. The area around the Capitol and the touristy spots has gotten much better in terms of transit connections with better frequencies and I also spotted more bike infrastructure coming along in some places, overall very positive development. DC is the most “European” of American cities and I like where things are heading.
Glad you had a good visit and were able to use public transportation :)
Many projects are in the works and I hope it continues to improve!
Safe? With the number of shootings and stabbings in and around stations this year, safe is not a word I would use.
@@robertlunderwood No inside the stations it is pretty safe. There are some outliers in troubled locations but on the whole the system is very secure
I use the metro about twice a week, and I mean it’s great. On a American train system for cities. It’s super clean, safe, and very very easy!
It’s great for American standards and great for the world :)
Fingers crossed for more improvements to come to the DC Metro system :)
As someone who lives in nyc, I got to say, the dc metro is definitely up there with the nyc subway. What I love about DC Metro is that it actually goes outside of dc to the suburbs and even goes to 2 different states! I also like the seats and how its very clean
I do wish there was more density and stops within the city that the NYC subway has. Otherwise the Metro suits DC quite well :)
The subway is a stinky, inefficient, rat infested sh1t hole. I spent nine years commuting from Washington Heights to Wall St. or across to Jersey City. Not only is it a foul, underground slum, but it's also a crap shoot as to whether you're even going to get there or not. Get on an "A" at 168th and then hear the announcement that the train will now be riding local.... as if your having to be somewhere on time meant anything to the clowns who ran that system.
As a longtime DMV resident and native, I've always kind of taken for granted the marvels of our Metro. As someone who has traveled abroad and around the country, I can say that DC metro is easily among the best railway transit systems I've seen.
I agree it is so great! I hope the Metro system continues to improve and expand quickly :)
I love how the Metro platforms light as trains enter and leave. My favorite metro to visit when out of nyc
Yeah the platform lights look great. It would be cool if it also corresponded to the color train that is arriving!
@@SoloTravelPOV- I think that could be accomplished with LED lighting. White could be used to denote the Silver Line.
I just love our Metro. It’s clean and so beautiful and the deep escalators magnificent ❤
It’s such a great metro for the Nation’s capital :)
I love these silent vlogs!!! So nice to see one set in a location we are familiar with!!
Thank you! Next video will be a bicycle silent vlog to Gravely Point to watch planes land
Also, “silent vlog” is a great label I can use for future videos :)
I spent a year in DC back in 2015, best year of my life. That Metro is so iconic, I loved it! I lived in Arlington and the Metro was close by, I used it all the time.
So iconic and pretty :)
Been living in DC region for 11 years and I've been using Metro on and off and I didn't know about the cherry blossom MetroCard. How cool
Yes they release a few special cards! There are also Presidential Inauguration cards, Nationals/Capitals Sport Championships cards and WMATA anniversary cards :)
I miss DC. I lived in Nova until moving to Seattle last year and never got to see the silver line completed. I always loved taking the metro to the mall or Georgetown and just bike around
Nice! It’s a wonderful system that connects Nova. And it’s great to just get into DC without worrying about your car
Hope you can visit again soon :)
@@SoloTravelPOV thanks, me too :') Awesome video btw! The shots were great and I really like the silent vlog style
Thank you :)
More videos are coming soon from DC, especially with biking from metro stations. Maybe I will take a path you’ve done before :)
Gtown?? There's no stops in Georgetown. Closest one is Foggy Bottom GW..on orange, silver and blue lines 9 blocks away.
@@Steve-tj9on yeah I'd normally take it to federal triangle or foggy bottom and just bike around the mall or georgetown. Hopefully we'll finally get a stop with bloop tho
I lived in Washington DC after college and have always been a big fan of the Metro. It’s just so well done, so clean and efficient!
Your video is a testament to a real passion for such an amazing transportation resource!
Thanks for watching and I hope to showcase more transportation resources and systems soon!
Super awesome video! I love the DC metro, it's my favorite in the country. Glad to see others enjoy and appreciate it too!
Thank you! It’s a great system so I was happy to showcase it :)
8:53 That stretch of highway is the Dulles Toll Road, with the center 2 lanes dedicated to airport access and those are toll-free.
Dulles Greenway is a privately-built and -owned highway that connects with Dulles Toll Road at Dulles Airport and goes west to Leesburg, VA.
This was a great video. Thank you! I used to live in dc area before moving to seattle and loved using the metro system. Seeing the wegmans in Tyson’s on your video brought back good memories. The best food market in the us.
Of course! Wegmans is the best and I hope you can visit again soon :)
Holy crap that's actually gorgeous for a metro station.
It’s a great station, I love the brutalist design :)
Thanks for watching! 🚊🚇🚈
I stumbled across your video because I'm a rail fan originally from NYC but this is definitely a nice presentation. Kudos!!
Thank you :)
I hope to cover trains and travels in NYC too! Especially the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn :)
Expanding Metro to Dulles was included in the original plans for the airport sixty years ago when Metro was still in the planning stages. The Dulles Access Road, which runs beside the train, is built and maintained by the Airport Authority.
Nice and good quality!!
Thanks for watching :)
this is one of the most relaxing and pleasant youtube videos i've ever watched
Thank you very much ☺️
Love this! I'm a former D.C.-area resident now in Los Angeles who last rode Metrorail in 2014 (just after the first leg of the Silver Line opened, though I never was able to use it). It's a stunning system, a key part in Washington's shift from a sleepy semi-southern burg into a truly world-class city. LA's Metro is decidedly utilitarian by comparison, though it will continue to improve by the time the Olympics arrive in 2028. I enjoyed using D.C.'s Metro to watch my beloved Nats in the now-revitalized Navy Yard area, and look forward to the Purple Line opening (OK, so it's not technically part of Metro), providing better travel across the Maryland suburbs and making the University of Maryland far more accessible. Again, a splendid job.
Nice! The shift from a semi-sleepy city to world class is definitely true :)
Fingers crossed for great things in LA too 🤞
You're very informative, pleasant, and positive! Thank you so much
Thank you for watching :)
Great trip - Love the 4K shots of trains leaving/arriving
Thank you :)
Wow I love the Metro and didn't realize they were building a line to Dulles. I used to always make sure to fly to National just so I could get a train to where I needed to go. The stations and coverage in DC is some of the best in the USA. My favorite commuter train system for sure.
It’s great! I hope you can experience it again some time :)
Ride metro all the time. Really great system and usually fairly reliable. Thanks for the informative and positive video :)
Thanks for watching and and safe travels :)
Washington is beautiful and prosperous❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yes, Washington DC is a wonderful city :)
I'll be using this line for the first time this summer and this video let me know what to expect, so thank you. Plus now I know to wait for one of the nicer trains! I can't believe an airport the size of IAD went this long without a single rail connection though, what a travesty.
Have a great trip :)
As a tip, you can see the arrivals and departure for IAD on this website: www.wmata.com/js/nexttrain/nexttrain.html?stationId=N10&label=Washington%20Dulles%20International%20Airport#N10|Washington%20Dulles%20International%20Airport
The new and old trains are both running at 8 car capacity. The new train will not run at 6 car capacity
Yeah it was planned as back as the 70s, but ofc political will power takes a long time to blossom
I'll bet not many has been deep in those tunnels. It's crazy when you see a train roll by while in one.
It’s cool you have a smart trip card like that, I have one that’s called “Declaration of independence”
Very cool! I looked that one up and now I want to collect all of the Metro cards :)
I use the DC metro 4 times a week. It's super expensive compared to Chicago and NYC but it is cleaner looking.
Yes, I think I prefer the cleanliness to be honest :)
Safe travels!
Great video! Love the atmosphere and ambiance of when you traveled. :)
Thanks for watching :)
I live in Baltimore now but I grew up in the DC Metroplex (on the MD side). Looking back I realize how much I took WMATA for granted. On my next Trans-Atlantic flight I will purposely ensure my flight departs out of Dulles so that I have an excuse to ride the Metro to the airport. I can't wait.
My next flight is out of BWI! You’ll definitely enjoy Dulles when you fly out. It’s great :)
Since it opened in the '70s, it shows how good mass transit can be.
Excellent video! Worked in Wash., DC in 1979/1980. Amazing the $2.00 weekend fair still exists.
Nice! Let’s hope they keep that weekend fare too :)
So glad there is a train going out to Dulles.
It’s such a great accomplishment for the DC Metro :)
@@SoloTravelPOV Indeed! I have taken the trip to the end of the silver line and then having to take a shuttle from there to get to Dulles.
Love riding it anytime im in DC! Best in The Americas. Outranks quite of bit international transit as well.
So true! Thanks for watching :)
Thanks for sharing, it’s amazing to see train travel station with easy connections ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yes, DC Metro makes it easy :)
I loved it when I lived near DC in MD. That was the best train station ever!
Yes it is such a wonderful metro system! It will only improve in years to come :)
Hope you can visit again soon
I never thought of DC Metro as a Waffle design. I always called it a "beehive".
I’ll have to use that in the future :)
@@SoloTravelPOV nice video. Cheers.
I love our lovely coffered ceilings and hexagonal tiles... my only wish is that they'd make the tiles a bit more textured and less slippery. Funny, seeing the stations everyday, we 'DC dwellers' take their beauty & neatness for granted, and having traveled and seen [and smelled] some of the beautiful stations of the world, DC Metro is still my favorite!
Yes the entire system has such iconic architecture and design :)
Nicely done. I felt like I was there.
Thank you :)
I love that retro ticket machine!
Yeah it is unique! They are definitely due for a makeover soon
I grew up in the D.C. area and now live in London. If you ever go to London ride the new Elizabeth line. It’s amazing how they have copied the D.C. metro’s design on the Elizabeth line.
Interesting to know and I hope to check out the Elizabeth Line too :)
You are an artist! Making videos is art.
Thank you :)
Thanks for showcasing the newly opened Silver Line extension. And Washington Dulles is one cool airport I need to visit one day, most probably for layover. Very nicely filmed for both. 😀
I hope you can visit soon :)
For a long time, Chicago was considered the second-best transit city in America. Now it’s DC by a mile.
I love how you get a railfan view
Thanks! Those shots are fun to get :)
Yes finally, I remember taking cabs or buses from IAD to the city center many years ago. DCA Airport was really the better choice(however, only on domestics, not really an option for those flying in from Europe or Asia).
Climate, Architecture, Transportation - compared to most other cities in the U.S. , the capital really is a good deal.
It is finally finished! Yes DC is a great city and I hope it continues to improve :)
Harry Weese, the Architect for Metro, was a close friend of Eero's, both serving out fellowships together at Cranbrook. They worked together on a few early projects in Chicago with Elliel, Eero's father and the Director of Cranbrook. Cesar Pelli was an architect in Eero's office, and the one that succeeded it, before going out on his own to design the Reagan Terminal at National Airport. DCA is National Airport.
Amazing info! Reagan National Airport also has inspiring architecture, and the corresponding Metro station at the airport somewhat imitates the design of the terminal awnings :)
Haven't flown to/thru IAD in decades, last time they still had these pods on wheels that transported passengers from the terminal straight to the planes. But IAD's architecture was still stunning with that 60s flair and very few retouches.
Nice! Those are the mobile lounges you are referring to. Kind of like buses, but not really. The design of those are very unique and deserve their own video :)
@@SoloTravelPOV Do they still use them at IAD? I must have read somewhere a long time ago they were about to be phased out...yes, I was on one of those once and it felt sort of amusement park ride without the thrill factor.
@@flexx7543 Yes they are still in use! I will try to make a video about them soon :)
Peak 60s Architecture.
Peak 60s architecture and timeless architecture :)
Super epic that DC's two main airports are now connected by rail just wish there was better frequency. The silver line spends like 45 minutes away from any other line.😊
Yes I agree 🙂
Maybe the next expansion will include the Silver Line Express plans found here: www.wmata.com/initiatives/plans/BOS-Capacity-Reliability-Study/BOS-Concepts.cfm
Thanks for watching :)
I rode the DC Metro for the first time in March 2018. I was attending an event downtown and wanted to stay closer to the airport so I booked the Hyatt Regency Reston. The extension wasn't open yet of course but it wasn't far to the nearest station. My only complaint was (like a lot of cities) I couldn't buy the disability smart card through the mail. It had to be in person. I always find this odd since it makes it logistically a bit of a catch-22 for visitors. You'd think they'd want to encourage tourists, not challenge them. Fortunately, there was an office where I could buy it in person within walking distance of the hotel so I was good to go. Otherwise, it's a great system! Excellent signage and clean.
That is an odd quirk and I’d hope they will fix that. I’m glad it worked out and you had a good visit though :)
@@SoloTravelPOV Thanks! It was excellent. Haven't been back since but hope to. BTW a few months ago I was able to get disabled smart cards through the mail for both Chicago and New York for trips I was making this year.
@larry4111 - I had the same problem when I was in DC in June 2023. I bought a one-day pass instead. I'm from suburban Philly and got my NYC disability pass through the mail.
@@OldsVistaCruiser Yup, same here. I got them for New York and Chicago earlier this year, both through the mail.
Great video, I was amazed at the lack of people- especially at the airport. Charlotte (an American hub) is always busy. The arrivals/departures is crazy- especially now with the terminal construction. Liked the focus on the architecture, the Metro and Dulles are stunning.
Thanks for watching :)
This was filmed on the evening of Memorial Day so that could have been why it was less busy. Charlotte is also ranked the 10th busiest US airport while Dulles is 28th!
Just flew thru CLT last week and lived in Charlotte a few years. The airport's transformation in progress looks amazing but as a hub still beset by more flight-handling capacity. Still nothing like you see here to get to/from CLT and downtown Charlotte.
IAD is one of 3 large airports supporting the region. Demand is much better spread out vs CLT
Nicely done. I have not been to DC or used the system in 20 years, so it was nice to see it again. Loved using the METRO. I remember, as a kid, and reading that it cost $140,00 per foot in 1976. Imagine what that would cost today, and for the future expansion it hopes to do by 2040
It definitely costs so much more today! Here’s hoping they can continue to expand efficiently and quickly :)
This is great news. I grew up in the D.C. area. I come back to see family every couple of years. I didn't know this was extension was even planned. I'm looking forward to my next visit.
Have a great visit :)
@@SoloTravelPOV thanks!
@@SoloTravelPOV Btw I just visted. The weather was great and I took the metro from Silver Spring to Dulles and it was great. Thanks for your video. I don't think I would have known about it otherwise.
@@nathanlewis42 Wow this is the best comment I've ever received! Thanks for watching and using the Metro here. Hope you had an amazing trip!!
:)
@@SoloTravelPOV Really? Wow. Your's is the best reply to a comment I have received.
The weather was great, I sometimes wonder why I left and the ride out to Dulles airport was quite nice. It was also nice to hear them call out old, familiar stations like L'Enfant plaza.
Woow, fantaaastic, fabulous. 👍👌
DC is the most beautiful city in the US!
It’s so great :)
My hometown
Well here in Boston our transit is broken fiscal mismanagement and being the first in the nation subway system led its down fall. There are some routes where you can actually get to the next stop quicker than our subway lines. That’s how slow it is. So commuters don’t ride it. They either call an Uber or Lyft to get to their destinations . Causing major traffic on the arteries of Boston. Traffic is insane, Kudos to DC for nice clean and refreshing look, not dirty. It looks futuristic well for when it was built
Traffic is terrible in Washington DC, and the metro definitely alleviates that, more than people realize!
Cheers from down south ;)
it feels blade runner inspired. ahah whichever came first!!
Perfect comparison :)
I love Blade Runner too, one of my favorite movies!
Great
Thanks for watching :)
Very nice vid! Tkxxx 👍🏼
Great video! Very well done.
Thank you :)
It's beautiful; however, as someone whose rode it, the lack of skip-stop service is a KILLER. I've calculated that for someone living at the eastern terminus of the Silver Line, it's actually faster to drive to Dulles during off-peak hours than it is to take the Metro. Metro should have built a third track as part of the Silverline extension and ran a Dulles Flyer skip-stop between East Falls Church and Dulles. Then, if they ever built the second cross city tunnel, the 3rd track could tie into that tunnel, and offer express service across DC. I love Metro in DC, but the lack of Skip Stop compared to NYC really holds back DC's services, especially as Metro shifts to become something to be used for getting around, not just to bring people from the suburbs into DC and back.
I agree and it is a unique transit system in that regard.
WMATA did recently propose a skip stop/express service on the Silver Line, but only through a new Rosslyn Station and West Falls Church.
You can see that proposal map under the section - Silver Line Express in Virginia on this page: www.wmata.com/initiatives/plans/BOS-Capacity-Reliability-Study/BOS-Concepts.cfm
I agree that the express trains in NYC are a great idea and I've never seen any other city do that.
I was also hoping they'd do an express service when this opened. At least from major stations like rosslyn and metro center and direct (no stops) to dulles.. I timed one of my trips here from rosslyn to dulles and it was about 45mins on a not so busy day.. by US, standards, DC metro has got to be up there.. internationally, not so much, it's still got a lot to learn from metro systems in EU and Asia..
@@RGisOutOfOffice I think the D.C. metro system is modelled on the Paris metro but the Paris metro had a long head start and it’s probably a lot better funded.
@@RGisOutOfOffice agreed. I landed in Dulles, and caught an amtrak train in downtown. Metro was offline on the silver line, and they were bussing us to Rosslyn. On a quiet sunday, the trip to Rosslyn by bus only took about 25 minutes vs 45, but I imagine during normal weekday, the bus service would have been agonizingly slow, stuck in the traffic
@ 2:02, it is actually L"Enfant Plaza station that has the most lines to run through it (all lines except for the Red).
Yes - L'Enfant Plaza may have a higher throughput of trains, but I think Metro Center could have a higher throughput of people!
Thanks :)
@@SoloTravelPOVy favorite is the elevated College Park station.
Toronto has a dedicated rail for going from the airport to Union Station in town
7000 Series look and feel like one of the NTTs of the NYC Subway, and the propulsion of the WMATA 7000 Series, which is the first of the NTTs, sounds almost like the R179s
I took the DC metro and the stations were beautiful. It would be perfect if they put platform doors on.
I agree! Those would be expensive and I wonder how they would fit in with the aesthetic of the stations
11:18 is definitely a really epic shot! It's nice to see a decent metro system in the States.
Thank you!
The 3000 series is the most comfortable. The 7000 series feel cold and harsh. Especially with the robot voice and cold blue lights.
I hope the newest trains they are constructing have a comfortable middle ground :)
All the videos I watch about subways in the United States are always empty, except New York
This was filmed on a Sunday before a holiday so many people were away from the city. New York is America’s biggest city by far so that makes sense! Washington DC Metro is busiest during Fourth of July and weekday mornings for government workers
너무신기한 지하철👍👍👍👍👍😲😲😲😲😲
감사합니다! 나는 작년에 서울에서 휴가를 갔고 지하철는 매우 효율적이고 깨끗했어 💕 너무 좋아!
:)
Amazing place 😮
I wish DTW would adopt this :/
THATS MY DAUGHTER ON THAT PINK CANDYTOPIA POSTER!!!
At 4:30? Good spot! I want to visit Candytopia now :)
Wow!! Great train trip. Our suburban trains here in Melbourne Australia are also called Metro, though we have yet to have a train line to the airport here.
Thanks! I would love to visit Australia and experience it by train :)
Awesome! Nice to see USA catching up.
The D.C. Metro is decorated in a style I like to call "Early Death Star"
Haha that is a good name for the style ;)
I have not been on metro in like 20 years.
Good ol' Metro center...
The red line smells like piss! Dont worry, its a feature, not a bug!
Fingers crossed for new trains soon!
If my mom and I are in Washington D.C. We can ride the WMATA train from the airport to the hotel.
Yes, depending on where your hotel is located in Washington DC, you can take WMATA from both airports :)
The Georgetown neighborhood opted out of a Metro station in the 1970s believing the neighborhood would be flooded with visitors from other areas of the city....what it has to show for that mistake is standstill traffic on M St. and Wisconsin Ave.
Cool video!!!!! I've always found it fascinating to ride a subway in between the expressway. "Like in Chicago" where the Red line runs in between the "Dan Ryan expressway". When I used to live in (NYC) I would ride the JFK airtrain, which runs in between the "Van Wyck expressway" but at a higher grade level though. Even so, the ride is so spectacular but speaking of JFK @ 10:14 when you mentioned about "Die Hard", the movie "The Terminal" (with Tom Hanks) was actually filmed at an old hanger in Los Angeles because a lot of people think that it was filmed at the "actual" terminal 4 at Kennedy. Because of the constant heavy traffic that goes on there it would be impossible to do, so I'm guessing the same for Die Hard 2.
Also, Eero Saarinen also designed the old "Batwing Terminal 5 at JFK" as well. Which is now a hotel and they have an old school plane that sits in the back of it that's used for a lounge bar.
Wow nice facts! I didn’t know that about the Terminal movie, and I was just reading about it the other day :)
Also I really want to check out the JFK TWA hotel now. It looks architecturally amazing!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
It was really a cool film and the research that I did on the movie, it said that the escalators were re-used for the film "that came from defunct malls". With the Batwing hotel, for sure and it also has a swimming pool on the top of it as well. While swimming you could still see the planes takeoff and land at a nice distance!!!! The hotel itself is not that spacious but it still look's comfortable though. However, prepare to have some money in your pocket when you stay there!!!! "lol"
Can't help but think that Washington is just keeping up with the appearance when visitors come to the capital of the country.
That could be part of it, but Washington DC also has a major economy and the sixth largest metro area in the US. The Metro is certainly needed :)
maybe a minute detail, but the clicking noises those doors make when opening and closing are somewhat similair to my hometowns trams, also made by alstom in the zeroes
That is a cool detail! :)
9:10 the Metro trains do not "regularly approach" 75 MPH. The operating manual specifies a top speed of 59 MPH except on the Green Line north of Georgia Ave - Petworth and south of Anacostia station. I have been on a Metro train approaching 70 MPH only a handful of times
Though I do wish the operating speeds on the Orange and Silver lines west of Ballston were regularly raised so that the trains could "own" most cars :)
Thanks!
I added a correction in the description. Maybe we'll get to those speeds one day :)
And if you work for WMATA, thank you for your commitment! I'm sure the operating manual is an interesting read
The 59 mph limit is a cost cutting measure.
@@ptrs559 actually a safety measure in the aftermath of the 2009 collision.
Nice video
Thank you :)
@@SoloTravelPOV no worries mate
Lived in the D.C. area in the early 80's. The Metro system was new and one of its "bugs" was a very noisy braking system which screeched real bad. Waiting in the stations, you had to plug your ears, the noise was so bad. But they fixed it eventually. System is a lot more extensive now. Used to drive to Dulles and the "access" road was lined with beautiful trees. On a trip to D.C. in the late 90's I was shocked that the access road was developed by large buildings. Most of the trees were gone. Glad Metro can take you to Dulles now. Northern Virginia has grown so much since my time there. Question: How close to Wolf Trap does Metro get? Are there busses from the nearest station?
I agree the development of Northern Virginia has been rapid and impressive!
I was surprised that there is no Wolf Trap stop directly, but you can take a 574 bus from Spring Hill, then to a 23 minute walk :)
@@SoloTravelPOV Sounds like quite a trek to Wolf Trap. If I ever get back to the D.C. area, and go to Wolf Trap, I'll drive...😊 ... Metro skipped Georgetown too. No metro transportation system is perfect but all in all Washington's is pretty good.
they use now what's called "dynamic braking" It's sort of like what a hybrid car uses. The poles are reversed on the motors, so they turn into generators, and put power back into the rail. Friction braking is only used for emergency stopping and for the last little bit of braking when stopping, and holding the train in position.
@@robcohen5585 I actually work at Wolf Trap. During performance season, Fairfax Connector runs an express bus from McClean station on the Silver Line in Tysons. They run every 20 minutes from about 2 hours before a concert, and the final bus arrives 10 minutes after the show starts. It drops people off directly at the Filene Center. During the show, two buses (three or four on the busiest of nights, depending on how many people took the bus to Wolf Trap) will wait at the Filene Center, and they leave 20 minutes after the performance ends. Taking public transit to Wolf Trap to see a concert is totally doable.
I prefer the 6000s. The old trains just look better in the stations.
Maybe they will include the classic WMATA brown color on the newest iterations of trains :)
@@SoloTravelPOVhonestly I don’t think so after all they are going for a more “modern” look. Also great video of my home metro system!
@@Tzartle_The_Kaiju Thanks for watching! Hopefully we'll get more sneak previews of the new trains soon :)
@@SoloTravelPOVwe have I mean the design has already been confirmed you can just search it up!
Trust me, the mobile lounges at Dulles were not all they were cracked up to be. The Metro is an incredible transit system, something that should be a model for other large American cities. Unfortunately for me, it's really only in a place where I would never want to live again.
Nice
Thanks for watching :)
@@SoloTravelPOV welcome.
It is awesome!! I have lived there and used metro for a few years!!!!!!! Excellent!!!!!!😊 So much better then Seattle garbage by far!!!!!!!
I’m not sure the mobile lounges ever offered cocktails, but wouldn’t that have been great? If you’ve found any information or pictures documenting that they did, please post in comments. Great video.
I grew up in D.C. and think cocktail service was part of the original "vision" for the mobile lounges that never actually transpired.
Heh. It' also very flammable.
😉
I'm always fascinated by transit systems that install electronic wait time signage that is not capable of displaying the destinations in full. "FRNCONIA"
I agree that is a funny quirk! Only missing one letter too ;)