Rail service to Franconia-Springfield began in 1995 when the Virginia Railway Express started stopping at it as an infill station. It was joined by the Metro Blue Line when it was extended in 1997. The station also received Amtrak Northeast Regional train service from 2003 to 2010 (as a full Amtrak station, with the Amtrak logo on Washington Metro maps, on timetables and bookable through Amtrak's ARROW reservation system). A few signs for connections in the Metro station still included the Amtrak logo when I visited in 2015. I believe that VRE passengers must pay the more expensive $8.95 non-Metro rider daily parking fee, and not the cheaper $4.95 fee. These fees are calculated via whether you tap your SmartTrip card for a trip to another Metro station after parking your car, as VRE doesn't accept SmartTrip.
The VRE station contains two platforms. The northern platform doesn't receive regular train service (since Amtrak stopped stopping at the station) with just a two car long short platform. This short platform is completely exposed to the elements except for a single shelter (hosting a VRE ticket machine) at one end of the platform. It is nestled next to and providing unique views of the Metro tracks and station beyond (with lots of fencing).
The main platform for track 2, normally used by all VRE trains, is a five-car long platform with a canopy structure that covers about one car at its southern end. This end (the front of the train coming from Washington, DC) is where all platform access is. Here a ramp leads directly off of this platform to the Metro Path, this provides pedestrian access to the end of the cul-de-sac of Berry Road, a nearby single-family subdivision.
Connecting from VRE to Metro (and station buses and parking) is an elevator and staircase (with a blue canopy structure) that lead from the main platform to a glass pedestrian bridge. This pedestrian bridge leads across to another elevator and staircase structure that stops at an intermediate level at the end of the main Mezzanine into the Metro station before continuing down to the generally unused platform.
The VRE platforms are completely open. There is no attempt to close them during non-rush hours when VRE is not in service. This is because they are the only connection from the Metro Path into the station. The generally unused northern platform has no reason to be open, but there is no attempt to put a gate over the staircase down to it, or turn off its floor on the three landing elevator (that also leads up to the bridge across the VRE/Amtrak tracks).
Photos 1-9: October 11, 2015; 10-27: September 6, 2024;
