Takoma station explained

Takoma
Style:WMATA
Symbol:red
Symbol Location:washington
Address:327 Cedar Street NW
Borough:Washington, D.C.
Coordinates:38.9755°N -77.0178°W
Platform:1 island platform
Tracks:2
Structure:At-grade
Parking:146 spaces
Bicycle:Capital Bikeshare, 38 racks, 60 lockers
Passengers:2,361 daily[1]
Pass Year:2023
Pass Rank:45 out of 98
Opened:[2]
Accessible:Yes
Code:B07
Owned:WMATA
Other Services Collapsible:yes
Other Services Header:Former services at Takoma Park
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail-metro
Marker-Color:
  1. e31837
Zoom:15

Takoma station is a Washington Metro station on the Red Line in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, D.C., bordering Takoma Park, Maryland. The station is considered to be located in part of Takoma Park's Historic District. It is the last station in the District of Columbia on the eastern end of the Red Line heading to Maryland, located east of the intersection of Blair Road NW and Cedar Street NW. The station's parking lot and bus stops are accessed from Eastern Avenue NW, which runs along the DC–Maryland line.

History

Prior to the opening of Metrorail, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) operated commuter trains that served intra-DC locations, including Takoma Park (this service continues as MARC's Brunswick Line, although the closest station serving the area is in Silver Spring, Maryland). Commuter rail service ended before Metrorail service began, and the old shelter for the rail stop was demolished in order to widen the right-of-way to accommodate Metrorail. Remnants of the Takoma Park B&O rail stop are visible to the west of the Metro station.[3] The original Takoma Park railroad station, located within DC, burned down in 1962.[4]

Construction of the Metrorail Station took place in the early 1970s, and the station shares architectural features with the other above-ground stations constructed across the system. Takoma was among some of the first stations to open in the Metrorail System, less than two years after the system's inauguration on March 27, 1976.[5] Service to Takoma began on February 6, 1978.[6]

In 2017, the station was closed from November 25 to December 10 as part of Metro's Capital Improvement Program. The work mainly focused on replacing and repairing existing tracks.[7]

The station was closed from June 1 to 28, 2024 to allow for construction of the Purple Line.[8]

2009 collision

See main article: June 2009 Washington Metro train collision.

On June 22, 2009, a southbound Metro train on the Red Line collided with another southbound train, which was stopped between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations, causing the deadliest accident in the system's history.[9]

Station layout

The entrance to the station is at the street level, with escalators leading up to the platform. A separate accessible entrance consisting of a single elevator is located near the middle of the platform. The separate accessible and general entrances are a relative rarity in the Washington Metro system; only and stations share this feature. The station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In the event that the elevator is not operational, the station is not accessible for wheelchair users and shuttle service to the next station is provided.[10]

Like,, and, Takoma is located in the middle of the CSX Metropolitan Subdivision rail line. There are two tracks to either side of the island platform, with Metro trains using the inner tracks and Amtrak and MARC Trains using the outer tracks.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Metrorail Ridership Summary . Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . February 10, 2024.
  2. News: Exuberant Crowd Celebrates Metro's Arrival in Maryland . Johnson . Janis . February 4, 1978 . . B1.
  3. Web site: Bentley. Elizabeth. Commerce in Takoma Park: A Century of Change. Takoma Voice. May 2, 2013.
  4. News: Mudd . Maria . Home Sweet Takoma . The Washington Post . May 1, 1987.
  5. News: Alberto Cuadra . Denise Lu . How D.C. Metro grew over the years . The Washington Post . April 27, 2015.
  6. News: Douglas B. Feaver . Janis Johnson . Jack Eisen . Metro Section Opens: Few Flaws, Happy Riders . The Washington Post . February 7, 1978.
  7. Web site: Red Line: No Trains Between Silver Spring & Fort Totten, Takoma Station Closed November 25 - December 10 for Capital Improvement Project . WMATA . 3 August 2020.
  8. Web site: 5 Red Line stations are now closed for weeks of summer construction . NBC4 Washington . 3 June 2024.
  9. News: Red Line Collision Kills at Least 6 . Lena H. Sun . Robert Thomson . The Washington Post . June 22, 2009 . June 23, 2009.
  10. Web site: These Metro stations have backup elevators . . 2024-04-21.