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Metro's Silver Line extension finally has an opening date

The Silver Line extension that has been in the works for more than a decade will finally see its opening day.

WASHINGTON — The Metro will be all-set to scoot travelers off to Dulles International Airport just in time for the holidays, officials confirmed Monday. 

The airport, along with five other new stops in Loudoun County, will finally be Metro accessible thanks to the Silver Line extension, which will officially be complete on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The new stations on the extension that are opening include Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn.

Loudoun County Supervisor Sylvia Glass said these six new stations in Loudoun and Fairfax could present an economic bump for the area as more Marylanders and District residents could decide to take quicker trips west. 

“We have a lot of enjoyable activities and we want to open that up to the region,” said Glass.

She adds this could also transform part of Loudoun to revolve around mass, public transportation options.

“We plan to build tall, dense buildings. We want to have areas where people can walk, eat, and have the Metro to get back and forth.”

Metro shared that for jet-setters, the Dulles stop is less than a 5-minute walk from baggage claim via an underground tunnel. 

The extension has been in the works for more than a decade. Metro previously shared its goal of getting the extension up and running in time for Thanksgiving, but declined to share an exact date.

RELATED: Metro unveils new Metrorail map with the new Silver Line stations

On opening day, some of the first riders to step foot in the brand-new stations can expect to be greeted by Metro teams handing out commemorative pennants; a tradition that started when the first station opened in 1976. 

The extension also includes a brand-new rail maintenance and service yard, located on 90 acres of the Washington Dulles International Airport property. The Dulles Rail Yard is the largest rail yard in the Metro system and employs nearly 700 people, according to WMATA.

The opening date follows 18 weeks of testing, training and safety certification efforts by Metro.  

It's not the only change that riders will see on Metro in November. A campaign to push back against fare evasion on the Metro will begin on Nov. 1.  

Metro Transit Police plan to begin issuing fare evasion citations starting Tuesday after spending the last month raising awareness and hosting a warning campaign for passengers regarding fare enforcement.

Citations will be handed out to anyone jumping fare gates, improperly using emergency gates or not tapping fare boxes on Metrobuses.

RELATED: Citations to be handed out to fare evaders starting Nov. 1

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