History of the Red Line
The Red Line opened on March 27, 1976, making it the founding line of the entire WMATA Metrorail system. The inaugural segment connected Farragut North, Metro Center, Judiciary Square, Union Station, Rhode Island Avenue, and Brookland. The line was designed by architect Harry Weese, whose signature coffered concrete vault ceilings now define the look of the entire system.
Extensions pushed the line northwest into Maryland through 1984 (Shady Grove), and eastward to Glenmont by 1998. Today it remains the system's most heavily-used corridor, connecting Montgomery County suburbs directly to the DC core.
Schedule & Frequency
| Day | First Train | Last Train | Peak Freq. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | 5:00 AM | 11:30 PM | Every 4–6 min |
| Saturday | 7:00 AM | 1:00 AM | Every 6–8 min |
| Sunday | 8:00 AM | 11:00 PM | Every 10–12 min |
Accessibility
All Red Line stations are ADA accessible with elevators and wide fare gates. Forest Glen is notable for having no escalators — only high-speed elevators serve the extremely deep platform. The Wheaton station features the longest single-span escalator in the Western Hemisphere at 230 feet. Riders with mobility needs should check WMATA's elevator status before travel.
Parking Along the Red Line
- Shady Grove — largest lot, fills by 7:30 AM weekdays ($6.00/day)
- Rockville — commuter lot with MARC connection ($5.00/day)
- Twinbrook — smaller surface lot ($4.95/day)
- White Flint — structured garage ($6.00/day)
- Grosvenor-Strathmore — surface lots ($5.00/day)
- Glenmont — large eastern terminus lot ($6.00/day)
- Silver Spring — garage with monthly permits available
Connecting to Other Lines
The Red Line intersects with every other Metrorail line at three key transfer stations: Metro Center (Blue, Orange, Silver), Gallery Place–Chinatown (Yellow, Green), and Fort Totten (Yellow, Green). This means you can reach any point on the WMATA system with at most one transfer from any Red Line station.