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National Harbor Line

From Alfawiki
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article National Harbor Line, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025
National Harbor Line (Route NH1)
Company typeTransit service
IndustryPublic transportation
FoundedMarch 23, 2008
FateMerged into Route P94 on June 29, 2025
Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
,
United States
Area served
Prince George's County, Maryland; Washington metropolitan area
ParentWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

The National Harbor Line, identified as Route NH1, was a daily transit service managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, linking the Southern Avenue station on the Green Line of the Washington Metro system with National Harbor, Maryland. During peak travel times, buses operated every 30 minutes, while off-peak intervals were approximately every 40 minutes. The journey duration typically ranged from 30 to 35 minutes. This route offered direct transportation to National Harbor and the prominent destination of MGM National Harbor starting from Southern Avenue station. A separate service, the NH2, provided connections to Alexandria, Virginia.

Route description

Operating hours for the NH1 spanned from 5:45 AM until midnight, facilitating travel between Southern Avenue station and National Harbor with stops including Southview Apartments and Oxon Hill Parking Lot. The buses were dispatched from the Andrews Federal Center garage; prior to 2012, operations were based out of the Southern Avenue division, and before 2021, from Shepherd Parkway division.

NH1 Stops


NH1 Introduction

National Harbor began operations on April 1, 2008, marked by the opening of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and gradually expanded with features like Tanger Outlets and the Capital Wheel. At the request of Gaylord and National Harbor, WMATA launched the NH1 bus route on March 23, 2008, providing a connection between Southern Avenue station and National Harbor. This route runs every day, with buses arriving every 20 minutes during peak times and every 30 minutes during off-peak hours. Maryland allocates $312,000 annually to support NH1 service. By June 2008, Gaylord sought additional transit funding to facilitate better employee access to the area.

Branch Avenue Rerouting

In August 2009, responding to National Harbor's request, WMATA altered the NH1 route to serve Branch Avenue station via the Capital Beltway. This modification was met with discontent as employees experienced lengthier commutes on the Green Line to reach NH1, coupled with reduced weekend morning service where buses only started running after 8:00 AM. Gaylord advocated for restoring the original Southern Avenue routing. Consequently, Prince George's County introduced TheBus Route 35 to reestablish direct transit between Southern Avenue and National Harbor.

Introduction of NH3

WMATA introduced the NH3 route in December 2013 along the former NH1 corridor linking Southern Avenue station and National Harbor. This service targeted early morning and late-night passengers and incorporated stops at the newly opened Tanger Outlets Mall. Both NH1 and NH3 routes were adjusted to travel via Harborview Avenue instead of National Avenue.

Service Adjustments

In 2014, WMATA proposed eliminating the NH3 route and reverting NH1 to its original Southern Avenue path as a replacement. Another suggestion involved rerouting NH1 across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to connect with King Street–Old Town station, which eventually led to launching the NH2 route in 2016, linking Alexandria with National Harbor.

By June 2015, WMATA officially retired the NH3 route, consolidating all service under NH1. The revised NH1 resumed stops at Southern Avenue station and Southview Apartments but discontinued service to Branch Avenue station.

On September 9, 2018, WMATA modified both NH1 and NH2 routes within National Harbor to alleviate downtown traffic congestion. This adjustment centralized service at a single stop located at Waterfront St & Potomac Passage for streamlined operations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning March 16, 2020, the line operated on a reduced weekend schedule before suspending all weekend services from March 21. Full service was reinstated on August 23, 2020.

Better Bus Redesign

WMATA launched its inaugural comprehensive Metrobus Network overhaul in 2022 through the Better Bus Redesign initiative.

In April 2023, WMATA unveiled its Draft Visionary Network plan proposing a merger of NH1 with the P12 into a new Route MD265. This route would follow P12’s alignment between Southern Avenue station and Eastover Shopping Center before diverting onto Indian Head Highway and Livingston Road to cover Route D12’s Birchwood City loop. It would then continue to National Harbor serving key locations such as MGM National Harbor. The segment of current NH1 between Southern Avenue station and St. Barnabas Road & Brinkley Road was slated for transfer to TheBus operation.

The Revised Draft Visionary Network combined MD265 with MD148 (the existing P12 segment between Suitland station and Eastover Shopping Center), renaming it P93. This new route would operate from Suitland station to National Harbor via Eastover Shopping Center but exclude Birchwood City coverage, which would be served by proposed Route P96. These proposals were incorporated into WMATA’s 2025 Proposed Network.

Subsequent plans renamed P93 as P94 while keeping its routing intact; meanwhile, P93 was reinstated to serve Birchwood City through Birchwood Drive, Galloway Drive, and Helmont Drive. Both routes were planned to provide daily service from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM at intervals of every 24 minutes, combining for a combined frequency of every 12 minutes.

On November 21, 2024, WMATA approved the finalized Better Bus Redesign Network, simplifying operations along the College Park Line.

Starting June 29, 2025, Route NH1 merged into Route P94 alongside P12. The P94 will follow former P12 routing between Suitland station and Eastover Shopping Center before continuing along Livingston Road and Saint Barnabas Road to National Harbor. The section between Southern Avenue station and St. Barnabas Road & Owens Road will be served by TheBus Route P88.

References

Related profiles

AArdwick Industrial Park Shuttle LineCCheverly–Washington Business Park LineLLangley Park–Cheverly LineNNew Carrollton–Silver Spring Line
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