Van Dorn Street station
| Company type | Washington Metro station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | June 15, 1991 |
| Headquarters | Alexandria and Fairfax County , United States |
Area served | Washington, D.C. metropolitan area |
| Owner | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) |
Van Dorn Street station is a Washington Metro facility positioned on the dividing line between Fairfax County and the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia. The station’s island platform is situated within unincorporated Rose Hill, Fairfax County, whereas its entrance and parking facilities lie within Alexandria. Managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), it opened on June 15, 1991, and exclusively serves the Blue Line. Located at the intersection of South Van Dorn Street and Eisenhower Avenue near the Capital Beltway, the station functioned as the Blue Line’s southwestern endpoint from 1991 until 1997.
This station stands out as the sole Washington Metro stop named after a Confederate general.
History
In June 1977, an agreement was reached among Alexandria, Southern Railway, and United Parcel Service permitting Metro to retain the air rights necessary for Van Dorn station’s construction when funding became available. Following extensive planning, a $32.3 million contract was awarded in March 1987 to Dillingham Construction based in Pleasanton, California, targeting completion by 1991. Originally designated for the Yellow Line, Van Dorn was reassigned to the Blue Line in early 1990, with the Yellow Line redirected to serve Huntington. The station commenced operations on June 15, 1991, extending the Blue Line 3.9 miles westward from King Street – Old Town. It remained the southwestern terminus of the Blue Line until the launch of Franconia–Springfield on June 29, 1997.
Yellow Line service to Van Dorn ceased on June 25, 2017, following the discontinuation of Rush+, part of a broader overhaul of Metrorail operations.
In May 2018, WMATA announced extensive platform upgrades across twenty stations. Consequently, from May through September 2019, stations on the Blue and Yellow Lines south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station, including Van Dorn Street, were closed. Reconstruction work at Van Dorn began in September 2019, necessitating single-track operation on the Blue Line and requiring replacement of a nearby rail bridge.
The station was temporarily shut down between March 26 and June 28, 2020, due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
From September 10 to November 5, 2022, Van Dorn Street was closed as part of the Potomac Yard station integration project affecting all stations south of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport station. Shuttle bus services were provided to cover affected routes during this interval.
Station layout
Van Dorn Street features an island platform positioned between Eisenhower Avenue and the adjacent RF&P Subdivision tracks utilized by both Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak trains. A bus bay loop located north of the station accommodates services from DASH, Fairfax Connector, and Metrobus. Access to a modest parking area is provided via a tunnel beneath Eisenhower Avenue.
| P Platform level |
Southbound | ← Template:WMATA icon toward Template:Wmata (Terminus) |
| Island platform | ||
| Northbound | Template:WMATA icon toward Template:Wmata (Template:Wmata) → | |
| Track 3 | ← Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Fredericksburg Line and Amtrak trains pass without stopping | |
| Track 2 | Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Fredericksburg Line and Amtrak trains pass without stopping → | |
| G | Street level | Entrance/exit, bus connections, parking facilities, fare gates, ticket vending machines, station agent |