Farragut North station is an underground
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,[Google Books search/preview ...](_blank)
station
Station may refer to:
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in
Washington, D.C.
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, on the
Red Line.
Farragut North serves downtown Washington and is located just north of
Farragut Square. It lies at the heart of the business district on
Connecticut Avenue, with two entrances at L Street and one at
K Street. Adjacent to the L Street entrance was a food court which has its own stairway to the surface; the food court closed in 2007 and was later replaced with a Results Gym location. It is the third-busiest station in the Metro system, averaging 22,949 passengers per weekday as of May 2017.
Service began on March 27, 1976.
Station layout
![Farragut North L Street Mezzanine 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Farragut_North_L_Street_Mezzanine_01.jpg)
Farragut North station features unique architecture not seen in other stations throughout the system. Its mezzanine stretches across more of the platform and is longer than most, with an open depression looking onto the platform in the middle. There are two elevated mezzanines that serve different escalators and exits. Special buttress-like structures support these stretches of the mezzanine. The low, flat ceiling at the west end was built to accommodate a proposed freeway ramp to
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 (I-66) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. It runs from an interchange with I-81 near Middletown, Virginia, on its western end to an interchange with U.S. Route 29 (US 29) in Washingt ...
, which was never built.
South of this station, a non-revenue track diverges from the outbound track that connects with the outbound track on the shared Orange/Blue/Silver Line tracks between Farragut West and
McPherson Square.
''Pulse'' is a 2013 sculpture by Jefre Manuel, installed at the station's Connecticut Avenue and K Street, NW entrance. It is mounted to the wall at the Connecticut Avenue and K Street, NW entrance. The installation is made of acrylic resin tile. It was funded by the Golden Triangle BID and
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is an agency of the District of Columbia government. As of October 2022, the Interim Executive Director is David Markey. CAH was created as an outgrowth of the U.S. Congress Act that established ...
.
History
Farragut North was one of the original 5 stations to open with the first section of the Red Line on March 27, 1976.
It was the western terminus of the Red Line until January 17, 1977, when Dupont Circle opened.
[ In 1992, the station coffer was painted white.
On February 12, 2010 at approximately 10:13 a.m. a train derailed in the ]pocket track
A pocket track, tail track, or reversing siding (UK: centre siding , turnback siding) is a rail track layout which allows trains to park off the main line. This type of track layout differs from a passing loop in that the pocket track is usually ...
immediately to the north of the station when the front car left the tracks. Of the approximately 345 passengers on board, one person was transported to the hospital. All of the passengers were evacuated without incident. The cause of the derailment was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
. It was found that the train derailed as it was leaving the pocket track due to a derail
A derail or derailer is a device used to prevent fouling (blocking or compromising) of a rail track (or collision with anything present on the track, such as a person, or a train) by unauthorized movements of trains or unattended rolling stock. ...
er, preventing the train from entering the active main tracks and potentially a deadly collision.
On November 24, 2009, a large crack was found in the ceiling during a routine inspection; repairs began the following day. On Wednesday, November 17, 2010, a chunk of concrete fell from the station roof after street construction work on Connecticut Avenue above the station penetrated the station roof. The station reopened the next day after inspection and emergency repairs. During the majority of 2011, the station had structural repairs. The renovation added a new structural support column, patched cracks in the ceiling where moisture is entering the station, and acoustic ceiling tiles replaced. In addition, the escalators
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
were overhauled.
On January 15, 2018, a 7000-series train derailed on the northbound track between Farragut West and Metro Center because of a cracked track. The response was hampered by poor radio reception for Metro's radios inside the tunnel and minimal cell service due to the depth and the lack of repeaters.
In 2019, Metro repaired the station chiller, which had been out of service for almost 4 years.
Between January 15 to January 21, 2021, the station was closed because of security concerns due to the 2021 presidential inauguration.
Farragut West tunnel
Farragut North is only a block away (across the square) from Farragut West
Farragut West is a side-platformed Washington Metro station in Downtown Washington, D.C., United States. The station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service ...
station; however, there is no direct connection between the two stations. WMATA originally planned to have a single Farragut station that would serve as an alternate transfer station to ease congestion that would develop in Metro Center. However, it would have been constructed using the cut-and-cover method, disrupting the square above. The National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
, which owns the square, would not allow construction which would disrupt the park, so the stations were built separately with no direct passenger connection.
As part of its long-term capital improvement plan dated September 12, 2002, Metro has proposed building an underground pedestrian tunnel connecting the station with Farragut West to relieve transfer pressure on Metro Center. This work would also include projects to expand capacity at the station, including more fare gates, extending the mezzanines down the length of the station, more platform-mezzanine connections and more.
On October 28, 2011, Metro announced its Farragut Crossing program, allowing riders using a SmarTrip card up to 30 minutes to transfer for free by foot between Farragut West and Farragut North stations.
References
External links
L Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
K Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
{{Washington Metro stations navbox
1976 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Downtown (Washington, D.C.)
Stations on the Red Line (Washington Metro)
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1976
Washington Metro stations in Washington, D.C.
Railway stations located underground in Washington, D.C.
Washington Metro stations located underground