D.C.–Dulles Line
| Company type | Public transit bus service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | December 4, 2000 |
| Fate | Replaced by Silver Line Metro station service on November 16, 2022 |
Area served | Washington, D.C., Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Virginia |
| Products | Bus transit service |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
The D.C.–Dulles Line, known as Route 5A, was a bus service managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) that linked Washington Dulles International Airport with L'Enfant Plaza station. This route provided access to the Blue, Yellow, Orange, Green, and Silver lines of the Washington Metro. On weekdays, buses ran every 30 to 40 minutes, while on weekends, they operated hourly. The route followed major roadways including the Dulles Toll Road, Interstate 66, Richmond Highway, and Interstate 395. Aside from stops at Herndon–Monroe Park & Ride and Rosslyn station, the service was nonstop. The total journey lasted approximately 50 minutes.
Service
Service frequency between L'Enfant Plaza station and Washington Dulles International Airport is every 30 to 35 minutes on weekdays, with an hourly schedule on weekends. Initially, WMATA utilized 2006 Orion VII CNG (07.501) suburban buses numbered 2701–2730 from the Four Mile Run Division for this line. Alternative buses were deployed when these Orion VII CNG vehicles underwent maintenance or were assigned elsewhere. After phasing out the Orion VII CNG fleet, newer New Flyer XN40 buses from the 2016-2020 model years have been employed.
Stops
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Background
Originally known as the "North Reston Express Line" during the 1970s, the 5A route was discontinued in the 1990s and replaced by multiple Fairfax Connector services.
Service on the 5A recommenced on December 4, 2000, establishing a direct connection between Downtown Washington, D.C., and Dulles International Airport. It stands out as the sole WMATA bus route serving Loudoun County, Virginia, bridging Virginia’s non-commuter transit options and offering a vital regional link. At its inception, the one-way fare was set at $1.10, making it a competitively priced alternative to other local transportation choices.
In 2014, the 5A played a significant role in setting a monthly ridership record at Dulles Airport. WMATA also boosts service frequency during high-demand periods such as holiday seasons.
Weekend operations were halted on March 21, 2020, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but were fully reinstated by August 23, 2020. On September 10, 2020, WMATA proposed reducing the frequency of the 5A in its FY2022 budget plan to manage expenses amid diminished federal funding, having previously considered eliminating the route entirely in favor of Silver Line service.
During the surge of Omicron variant cases, weekday service was temporarily scaled back to match Saturday schedules. Full weekday service resumed on February 7, 2022.
Following discussions about discontinuing the 5A, public demand arose to maintain service during Metrorail shutdowns due to late-night airport arrivals and departures. Although WMATA explored overnight Dulles service in its Better Bus Draft Visionary Network, this proposal did not proceed into the finalized 2025 Redesign Network.
Silver Line
WMATA launched a public planning initiative in 2010 to design the Silver Line extension reaching Dulles Airport. This line serves areas across Maryland, Washington D.C., and northeastern Virginia. Phase 1 extends to Wiehle–Reston East station, while Phase 2 continues onward to Dulles Airport. Construction for Phase 2 began in 2014 with an original target opening in 2020; however, delays pushed this date multiple times—to September 2020, then April 2021, followed by July 2021 and finally November 2022—due to budget constraints and impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dulles Airport station
Since November 15, 2022, Washington Dulles International Airport has been served by its own Metro station as part of Silver Line Phase 2. Although initially planned as an underground facility, the station was ultimately built above ground adjacent to the airport’s daily parking garage 1. It provides direct access to the terminal through an existing pedestrian tunnel equipped with moving walkways. This station replaced the former Metrobus 5A service on November 16, significantly improving transit connectivity for airport passengers.