History
Red Line service at Silver Spring began on February 6, 1978. Prior to the opening of Forest Glen Station on September 22, 1990, Silver Spring was the northeastern Train station#Terminus, terminus of the Red Line. MARC trains began service in this location in 2003, replacing the Silver Spring Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station, located about to the south. On July 7, 2020, a Washington Metro rolling stock#7000-series, 7000-series train derailed at low speed on the southbound track as it was leaving the station. There were no injuries. An investigation is underway to determine the cause. The Purple Line system is under construction as of 2022 and is scheduled to open in 2026.Bus station
On September 26, 2008, there was a groundbreaking ceremony that took place at the Silver Spring Metro Station, as construction of the Silver Spring Transit Center was about to begin two days later. On September 28, 2008, both the original Silver Spring Metro Station Bus Bay where all WMATA Metrobus, Montgomery County Ride-On, and Shuttle UM Bus Routes originally stopped at, as well as the original Silver Spring Metro Station Kiss & Ride Lot were demolished, in order to make room for the construction of the Silver Spring Transit Center. As a result, all bus route terminals were temporarily rerouted to the side streets near the Silver Spring Metro Station until the Silver Spring Transit Center opened. The facility has 34 bays for Metro, Ride-on Buses, Shuttle-UM, "Kiss and Ride" access, Metrorail, and MARC train service. Its increased capacity is expected to ease the implementation of the Purple Line. The Transit Center will also mark the location for the future northern terminus of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, which heads southbound to Union Station (Washington, D.C.), Union Station. The transit center is named for former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes.Montgomery County Department of General Services, Rockville, MD (July 12, 2011)Station layout
Like Brookland–CUA station, the Red Line island platform at Silver Spring is slightly curved, with convex mirrors located on the inbound side of the platform to aid train operators in making sure the area is clear before closing the doors. The MARC station straddles the Metro station, with a single track and side platform on either side of the Red Line. The MARC platforms are slightly offset from the Metro platform and are connected to each other by a pedestrian bridge. Access between the Red Line and other services is provided via an elevator or escalators from the platform to two ground-level mezzanines, one at the north end of the platform connecting to Colesville Road and one at the center of the platform serving the Transit Center and Metropolitan Branch Trail.Public art
Penguin Rush Hour
The Silver Spring station is also home to ''Penguin Rush Hour,'' a mural painted by Sally Callmer Thompson, depicting penguins as Metro customers during rush hour. Although originally intended to be a temporary exhibit, the mural placed at the station in the early 1990s has become a symbol of the downtown area of Silver Spring. In 2004, the Silver Spring Regional Center, a county government facility, commissioned the original artist to restore the mural, which was damaged by the elements and missing sections, for approximately $30,000. In 2004-2005, the mural was removed for the restoration, with the promise that it would be returned by the end of 2005. Subsequently, the county decided to postpone re-installation of the mural until completion of the new transit center. In March 2017 a digital copy of the mural, printed on aluminum sheets for durability, was installed at the transit center.References
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