WMATA to reopen newly improved Orange Line stations on schedule 

Sept. 2, 2022
The stations reopening Sept. 6 will feature platform and customer upgrades.

Five Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Orange Line stations will be reopened Sept. 6. 

Customers will see a brand-new look at the five Orange Line stations that includes new slip-resistant tiles, brighter energy-efficient LED lighting, larger digital display screens and rebuilt platform edges. The upgrades were completed at New Carrollton, Landover, Cheverly, Deanwood and Minnesota Avenue Stations. 

Over the summer, WMATA closed the stations for platform reconstruction, customer improvements and to conduct safety-critical repairs on several bridges along this segment of the Orange Line. 

The reopening of the five stations marks the completion of a four-year program to rehabilitate and modernize 20 outdoor stations across the Blue, Orange, Silver, Yellow and Green lines. The project, which began in 2019, used a new construction strategy to close stations during construction, consolidating years of work into months. 

“I’d like to thank our customers, employees, contractors, jurisdictional partners and everyone in the National Capital Region who made this project possible,” said WMATA General Manager/CEO Randy Clarke. “The completion of this project demonstrates our commitment to delivering a sustainable, equitable and world-class transit system to the National Capital Region.” 

Funded by WMATA’s Capital Improvement Program, the project has been the largest, most complex capital construction project completed since WMATA opened in 1976. Today, these stations provide customers with safer, modern and more accessible stations including: 

  • Rebuilding 25,200 feet of platform edges to create safer, more accessible stations. 
  • Installing more than 467,000-square feet of slip-resistant tile to provide better traction in wet conditions. 
  • Completing nearly three million customer trips on free shuttle bus service during station closures to keep the region moving. 
  • Installing 89 stainless-steel platform shelters with power outlets and digital screens to provide a more convenient customer experience. 
  • Enhancing more than 2,800 speakers for clearer announcements. 

On Sept. 6, Orange Line trains will resume normal service to all stations between Vienna and New Carrollton and parking fees will be restored. Some additional work in and around the stations may continue after stations reopen, including the eastside bus relocation at New Carrollton and portions of Park & Ride and Kiss & Ride lots that will be closed through September and as late as October. 

Free shuttle buses will continue to operate through Sept. 5.