The Silver Line extension to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County is scheduled to open Nov. 15, Metro announced.
The opening of six new stations – Reston Town Center, Herndon, Innovation Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Loudoun Gateway and Ashburn – completes the 23-mile expansion project that began in 2009, Metro said.
The $3 billion extension — also referred to as "Phase 2"— adds another 11.4 miles of track west and northwest from the Wiehle-Reston East station.
The opening of Phase 2 has been pushed back multiple times. It was originally scheduled to open in 2018.
In recent weeks, Metro officials had said they could not open the new line until safety regulators allowed the system's 7000-series railcars to return to use. They had been pulled from service after a derailment.
Regulators approved a plan last week to return enough of the cars to service ahead of Thanksgiving to allow the Silver Line extension to open.
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission has yet to sign off on the Silver Line extension, Transportation Reporter Adam Tuss reports. The commission said Metro still has work to do on some Silver Line items.
