Fort Totten station
| Company type | Washington Metro station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | February 6, 1978 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Washington, D.C., Maryland |
| Products | Metro rail services (Green Line, Red Line) |
Fort Totten station is a Washington Metro facility located in the northeastern sector of Washington, D.C.. It functions as an important interchange between the Green and Red Lines, acting as the final Green Line stop within D.C. before entering Maryland and the penultimate stop on the Red Line. Distinct from other transfer stations, Fort Totten comprises three levels and features island platforms on both the elevated Red Line and the subterranean Green Line. The station derives its name from a nearby Civil War-era defensive structure, which honors General Joseph Gilbert Totten, who served as Chief Engineer of the pre-Civil War U.S. Army.
Located inside Fort Totten Park in Northeast Washington, this station provides transit access to several neighborhoods such as Fort Totten, Queens Chapel, Riggs Park, North Michigan Park, and Michigan Park. It also serves Northwest's Manor Park and extends its reach to the Maryland community of Chillum.
Station layout
The Green Line platform is positioned on a lower level and uniquely integrated into a hillside; part of it lies within a rock tunnel underground while another section is at grade in an open cut. Each travel direction has its own separate tunnel and platform. This design approach was adopted to reduce construction costs and stands in contrast to the expansive vaulted common areas found in other subterranean stations such as Forest Glen and Wheaton. East of Fort Totten lies a single-track connector enabling transfers between the Red and Green Lines; this link previously supported the Green Line Commuter Shortcut service until the mid-city segment of the Green Line opened in September 1999.
Like stations such as , , and , Fort Totten’s Red Line tracks are situated between CSX Metropolitan Subdivision freight lines. Metro trains utilize the inner tracks adjacent to the island platform for boarding, whereas freight trains along with Amtrak and MARC Train services operate on the outer tracks without stopping.
Entrances to the station are accessible from Galloway Street NE, which connects to South Dakota Avenue NE and Riggs Road NE.
History
The Red Line platform (upper level) commenced operations on February 6, 1978; later, the Green Line platform (lower level) opened on December 11, 1993. While the southern portion of the Green Line began service in December 1991, construction of the northern segment extending to Fort Totten was completed two years later in 1993. Prior to September 1999, the Green Line was divided into two disconnected segments with Fort Totten serving as both their northern and southern termini. Passengers transferred between these segments by using Red Line trains at Fort Totten’s upper platform.
To ease transfers during rush hours between January 1997 and September 1999, WMATA operated the Green Line Commuter Shortcut utilizing an underground connection to access Downtown stations via the Red Line. This service was discontinued following the opening of the central Green Line segment.
On June 22, 2009, a collision involving two southbound Red Line trains near Fort Totten resulted in nine fatalities and approximately 80 injuries—constituting WMATA’s most severe accident to date. A commemorative plaque in the mezzanine honors those affected, while plans for an external memorial remain under consideration.
Beginning December 31, 2006, WMATA extended Yellow Line operations beyond its former northern endpoint at to Fort Totten during off-peak periods as part of an eighteen-month pilot program. Due to positive outcomes, this extension became permanent in June 2008 except during peak travel times. Under the Rush Plus initiative in June 2012, Yellow Line trains were further extended northward to Greenbelt during weekday rush hours; however, this extension was eliminated in June 2017 amid budget reductions.
On May 25, 2019, Yellow Line service was expanded to run continuously to Greenbelt at all times rather than terminating at Fort Totten or Mount Vernon Square during off-peak or peak periods.
Nonetheless, on May 7, 2023—after nearly eight months of extensive rehabilitation work on its Potomac River bridge and tunnel near —the northeastern terminus of the Yellow Line was shortened back to Mount Vernon Square, ceasing service at Fort Totten. Plans call for partial restoration of Yellow Line service to Greenbelt by December 2025.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Fort Totten (Washington, D.C.)
- Stations on the Green Line (Washington Metro)
- Stations on the Red Line (Washington Metro)
- Washington Metro stations in Washington, D.C.
- Railway stations in the United States opened in 1978
- 1978 establishments in Washington, D.C.
- Railway stations located underground in Washington, D.C.