Hospital Center Line
| Company type | Public transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | June 4, 1977 |
| Fate | Planned to be discontinued and merged into Route D36 (effective June 29, 2025) |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Northwest and Northeast Washington, D.C. |
| Products | Bus transit service |
| Parent | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |
The Hospital Center Line (Route D8) was a daily transit service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, linking MedStar Washington Hospital Center with Washington Union Station. Running every 20 to 30 minutes from early morning until midnight, each trip lasted roughly 45 minutes on average, providing access to significant medical and governmental locations throughout Northwest and Northeast Washington, D.C.
Route Description
Route D8 provided daily connections between Washington Union Station and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, serving hospital facilities, Metrorail stations, and several smaller residential areas. Operations were based out of the Bladensburg garage.
Within the hospital complex, only northbound buses departing from Union Station made stops at Washington Hospital Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Passengers traveling southbound from Washington Hospital Center needed to board a northbound bus that looped at the 1st Street terminal before heading directly south to Union Station.
History
Originally, Route D8 operated between Friendship Heights and Distaff Hall until changes in the 1970s.
On June 4, 1977, Route D8 was introduced to run between Washington Hospital Center and Sibley Hospital, alongside Route D6. The line served multiple points including the hospital complex, Trinity University, Glenwood Cemetery, Edgewood Terrace Apartments, Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Center, Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station, Washington Union Station, Judiciary Square station, Metro Center station, and Dupont Circle station.
Following the opening of Dupont Circle station on January 15, 1977, both Routes D6 and D8 began servicing this station without altering their routes.
In March 1995, WMATA restructured the line to enhance service clarity. Route D6 was modified to run between Sibley Hospital and Stadium–Armory station via Union Station, replacing portions of former routes 40, 42, and 44. Meanwhile, Route D8 was shortened to operate exclusively between Washington Hospital Center and Union Station. The western segment of D8’s previous route was taken over by Routes D1, D3, and D6. At the same time, Route D8 assumed part of Route D6’s former path connecting Union Station and Washington Hospital Center through Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood station. Consequently, Route D6 became part of the Sibley Hospital–Stadium Armory Line along with Routes D1 and D3, while Route D8 was designated as the Hospital Center Line.
In 2014, WMATA suggested truncating Route D8 at Rhode Island Avenue station while introducing a new Route D7 to run between Rhode Island Avenue and the hospital campus. This proposal aimed to improve schedule reliability, reduce bus congestion within hospital grounds, and better align capacity with rider demand.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, service levels were gradually reduced: beginning March 16, 2020, weekday operations switched to a Saturday supplemental schedule; by March 18, weekday service followed a Sunday schedule; weekend service was suspended starting March 21; full service including weekends resumed on August 23.
In February 2021, WMATA put forward a proposal to discontinue Route D8 if federal funding did not materialize.
As part of WMATA's Better Bus Redesign plan effective June 29, 2025, Route D8 will be combined with the D4 to create Route D36. This new route will maintain the former D8 corridor between MedStar Washington Hospital Center and K Street NE but will be rerouted through Franklin Square following the prior alignment of Route D4. Service coverage for Washington Union Station will be replaced by Route C71, which integrates segments of Routes D4 and the E2, turning onto North Capitol Street from K Street NE to serve Union Station.