Report: Silver Line Clears Safety Hurdle, Test Likely for Weekend of Jan. 25

By Alex McVeigh

While an opening date still has not been set, the Metrorail Silver Line is progressing toward full service. 

According to NBC Washington, the line "cleared a major safety glitch" with the Automatic Train Control system, which was cited in December as a reason for a delay past a February opening date — and that was a delay from the originally planned December 2013 opening. 

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Chief Jack Potter said this week that officials will run an exercise simulating regular service that will require Silver Line trains to run at the same time as weekend Metro service, according to the Washington Post.

At this point, that test looks like it will be the weekend of Jan. 25.

Once construction of Phase One is complete, MWAA will hand the system over to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which will conduct its own safety testing. That is expected to last about 90 days. 

The 11.5-mile Silver Line Phase One branches off from the Orange Line in Falls Church and includes four stops in Tysons Corner before terminating at Wiehle Avenue in Reston. 

Phase Two, which will include stops near Reston Town Center, Herndon, Sterling, Dulles Airport and Ashburn, is expected to be complete by 2018. 

MWAA recently set up a question line for residents interested in Phase Two information.