LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Metro's new train line extension opens Tuesday. It's a moment people all across the D.C. region have anticipated for years.
When WMATA first started construction on the Silver Line, President Barack Obama had just entered the White House, the snowpocalypse slammed D.C., and health officials declared the swine flu as a pandemic to watch out for.
A lot has happened since 2009, but at 1:54 p.m., on Tuesday, the D.C. region will finally be able to travel the entire length of the Silver Line.
A Metro train will depart eastbound from WMATA's Ashburn station at that time, before heading through the five other new stations of Phase 2 of the Silver Line. Those stops include Loudoun Gateway, Innovation Center, Dulles International Airport, Herndon, and Reston Town Center.
D.C. resident and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Zach Israel will be one of the first people to ride the new extension.
WMATA presented 50 locals with "silver tickets" to share the opportunity with a guest of their choosing.
Israel got a silver ticket after telling WMATA about his oldest toddler's first experience on a Metro train last year.
Now, he plans to bring his youngest son as his guest.
"I'm actually on maternity leave, right now, with my 6-month-old son," Israel said. "So, I have a lot of free time and I was like, 'You know what, let me go take him on his first train ride.'"
He's not the only one who's excited either.
Loudoun County can't wait to see WMATA's $3 billion project open too.
The majority of the new stations are in Loudoun. Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall said the county would like to see more development be built around the new stations.
"It will bring residential development to Loudoun County, but also business development, recreation, and urban learning environments," she said.
Riders can expect a 53-minute ride on the rails, from Metro Center to Dulles, according to WMATA.