Takoma station

Takoma station is a Washington Metro station on the Red Line in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, D.C., bordering Takoma Park, Maryland. The station is considered to be located in part of Takoma Park's Historic District. It is the last station in the District of Columbia on the eastern end of the Red Line heading to Maryland, located east of the intersection of Blair Road NW and Cedar Street NW. The station's parking lot and bus stops are accessed from Eastern Avenue NW, which runs along the DC–Maryland line.

Not to be confused with Tacoma Station.

Takoma
Takoma station platform in February 2007
General information
Location	327 Cedar Street NW Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38.975532°N 77.017834°W / 38.975532; -77.017834
Owned by	WMATA
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Metrobus: 52, 54, 59, 62, 63, F1, K2 Ride On: 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 24, 25
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	146 spaces
Bicycle facilities	Capital Bikeshare, 38 racks, 60 lockers
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	B07
History
Opened	February 4, 1978; 46 years ago (February 4, 1978)[1]
Passengers
2023	2,361 daily[2]
Rank	45 out of 98
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station Fort Totten toward Shady Grove Red Line Silver Spring toward Glenmont
Former services at Takoma Park Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station North Takoma toward Chicago Main Line Washington, D.C. toward Jersey City University toward Jersey City
Location

History

Prior to the opening of Metrorail, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) operated commuter trains that served intra-DC locations, including Takoma Park (this service continues as MARC's Brunswick Line, although the closest station serving the area is in Silver Spring, Maryland). Commuter rail service ended before Metrorail service began, and the old shelter for the rail stop was demolished in order to widen the right-of-way to accommodate Metrorail. Remnants of the Takoma Park B&O rail stop are visible to the west of the Metro station.^[3] The original Takoma Park railroad station, located within DC, burned down in 1962.^[4]

Construction of the Metrorail Station took place in the early 1970s, and the station shares architectural features with the other above-ground stations constructed across the system. Takoma was among some of the first stations to open in the Metrorail System, less than two years after the system's inauguration on March 27, 1976.^[5] Service to Takoma began on February 6, 1978.^[6]

In 2017, the station was closed from November 25 to December 10 as part of Metro's Capital Improvement Program. The work mainly focused on replacing and repairing existing tracks.^[7]

The station was closed from June 1 to 28, 2024 to allow for construction of the Purple Line.^[8]

2009 collision

Main article: June 2009 Washington Metro train collision

On June 22, 2009, a southbound Metro train on the Red Line collided with another southbound train, which was stopped between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations, causing the deadliest accident in the system's history.^[9]

Station layout

The entrance to the station is at the street level, with escalators leading up to the platform. A separate accessible entrance consisting of a single elevator is located near the middle of the platform. The separate accessible and general entrances are a relative rarity in the Washington Metro system; only Rosslyn and Tenleytown–AU stations share this feature. The station is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In the event that the elevator is not operational, the station is not accessible for wheelchair users and shuttle service to the next station is provided.^[10]

Like Brookland–CUA, Fort Totten, and Silver Spring, Takoma is located in the middle of the CSX Metropolitan Subdivision rail line. There are two tracks to either side of the island platform, with Metro trains using the inner tracks and Amtrak and MARC Trains using the outer tracks.

References

1. Johnson, Janis (February 4, 1978). "Exuberant Crowd Celebrates Metro's Arrival in Maryland". The Washington Post. p. B1.
2. "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
3. Bentley, Elizabeth. "Commerce in Takoma Park: A Century of Change" (PDF). Takoma Voice. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
4. Mudd, Maria (May 1, 1987). "Home Sweet Takoma". The Washington Post.
5. Alberto Cuadra; Denise Lu (April 27, 2015). "How D.C. Metro grew over the years". The Washington Post.
6. Douglas B. Feaver; Janis Johnson; Jack Eisen (February 7, 1978). "Metro Section Opens: Few Flaws, Happy Riders". The Washington Post.
7. "Red Line: No Trains Between Silver Spring & Fort Totten, Takoma Station Closed November 25 - December 10 for Capital Improvement Project". WMATA. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
8. "5 Red Line stations are now closed for weeks of summer construction". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
9. Lena H. Sun; Robert Thomson (June 22, 2009). "Red Line Collision Kills at Least 6". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
10. "These Metro stations have backup elevators". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved April 21, 2024.

External links

• Media related to Takoma (WMATA station) at Wikimedia Commons
• WMATA Takoma station page

• The Schumin Web Transit Center: Takoma Station