Dulles to join Reagan as the most public transit-accessible Virginia airports

Washington Dulles International Airport is preparing to become one of Virginia’s most public transit-accessible commercial airports with the eventual opening of a Metrorail station for travelers.

The Silver Line extension of the Metro system, which includes the station at Dulles, has been in the works for more than 15 years. Construction issues pushed back the estimated completion date for more than three.

“Metro has not set an opening date for the Silver Line extension,” said Sherri Ly, a spokeswoman with Metro, in an email. “We continue to work closely with [Washington Metrorail Safety Commission] and expect to be prepared for safety certification this month.”

The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, an oversight committee commissioned by Congress, must inspect the rail line before the station can open.

Last year, the commission took hundreds of railcars out of service after a derailment investigation. The commission approved Metro’s plan for returning “more reliable” trains to service shortly last month. Ly said the agency is working to add more than 7,000 new railcars as passenger demand is expected to grow.