WEEKLY WHINE

Still no purple

There now follows a ranking of all stations on the Blue Line of the Washington, DC, USA Metro. Criteria included station architecture, nearby points of interest, and access to other lines.

1. L’Enfant Plaza: Provides access to the National Mall, the Air and Space Museum, and the Hirshhorn Museum. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines, and a transfer point to the Green and Yellow Lines.
2. Smithsonian: Provides access to the Smithsonian Castle, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Tidal Basin. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
3. Foggy Bottom-GWU: Located on the campus of George Washington University, this station also provides access to the State Department, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Watergate complex. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
4. Federal Triangle: Provides access to the Museums of Natural and American History, the Justice Department, and the FBI. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
5. McPherson Sq: Provides access to the White House, Lafayette Square, and the Treasury Department. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
6. Farragut West: Provides access to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and DAR Constitution Hall. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
7. Arlington Cemetery: The tracks and platforms are at ground level, with an overpass above. The only station served only by the Blue Line, it is also unusual in that the platforms are on a level between the entrances and the mezzanine, which is underground.
8. Metro Center: The central hub of the Metro system, this station is located underneath a new shopping centre. Provides access to Ford’s Theatre and the National Press Club. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines, and a transfer point to the Red Line.
9. Capitol South: Provides access to the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. The station’s name includes an unnecessary disambiguation, as there are no Capitol North, East, or West stations. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
10. Crystal City: Includes exits to the underground shopping centres in the Crystal City neighbourhood. Shared with the Yellow Line.
11. Federal Center SW: Provides access to the Botanic Garden, NASA, and Voice of America. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
12. Stadium-Armory: Provides access to RFK Stadium and the DC Armory. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
13. Pentagon City: Includes exits to the underground shopping centres in the Pentagon City neighbourhood. Shared with the Yellow Line.
14. National Airport: This above ground station provides access to terminals B and C of National Airport. This station has a central track, but it is normally not used. Shared with the Yellow Line.
15. Pentagon: The underground entrance to the Pentagon was closed in 2001, replaced by a ground level entrance with a new bus station. A split platform station: the eastbound track is below the westbound track. Shared with the Yellow Line.
16. Eastern Market: Located in Capitol Hill, this station provides access to the Marine Barracks. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
17. Potomac Av: Located in Capitol Hill, this station provides access to the Congressional Cemetery. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
18. Franconia-Springfield: This ground level station is the Blue Line’s western terminus. It is a major hub for northern Virginia, including Virginia Railway Express service, a Greyhound bus depot, and the Metro system’s largest parking garage. Shared with the Yellow Line during rush hour.
19. Rosslyn: One of the busiest in the system, Rosslyn is a bottleneck for travellers transferring amongst the Orange, Silver, and Blue Lines, so much so that a second station in the area is under consideration. A split platform station: the westbound track is below the eastbound track. The westbound track is 36 m below ground level, one of the deepest in the Metro system. Shared with the Orange and Silver Lines.
20. King St-Old Town: This above ground station provides access to Alexandria, VA. It is adjacent to the Alexandria Amtrak station. Shared with the Yellow Line.
21. Largo Town Center: This above ground station is the eastern terminus of the Blue and Silver Lines. It is a major commuter station, with two parking garages, and is located near two major shopping centres. Along with Morgan Bl, the newest station on the Blue Line [both opened in 2004].
22. Morgan Bl: This ground level station provides access to Summerfield, MD, and Fedex Field. Along with Largo Town Center, the newest station on the Blue Line [both opened in 2004]. Shared with the Silver Line.
23. Braddock Rd: This above ground station provides access to Alexandria, VA. Shared with the Yellow Line.
24. Van Dorn St: This above ground station is located between Fairfax County and Alexandria, VA. Shared with the Yellow Line branch to Franconia-Springfield during rush hour.
25. Addison Rd: This ground level station provides access to Walker Hill, MD. Shared with the Silver Line.
26. Capitol Heights: Located on the border between DC and Prince George’s County in Maryland. Shared with the Silver Line.
27. Benning Rd: Provides access to the Benning neighbourhood. Shared with the Silver Line.