Secrets of the DC Metro Red Line
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ค. 2024
- The longest escalator in the western hemisphere? A tree that changed the course of transit? Penguins riding trains?
Join Andy On Track for a tour of the DC Metro Red Line, uncovering the secrets, stories, and facts behind many of DC’s most famous stations!
Did we miss any Red Line secrets? Let us know in the comments below!
Beyond our on-the-ground reporting, various sources contributed to the content in this video. These include:
Greater Greater Washington (GGWash)
Maryland Historic Trust (for more information on the Columbian Harmony Cemetery and its move to Landover): tinyurl.com/2ps2tt8a
WAMU 88.5 (DCist)
The Washington Post
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
"The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro" by Zachary M. Schrag
Inspired by Geoff Marshall's "Secrets of the Underground": • Secrets of the Undergr...
Video Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Shady Grove
00:55 - Rockville
01:34 - Twinbrook & North Bethesda
02:07 - Grosvenor-Strathmore
03:05 - The Linden Oak
03:33 - Medical Center
04:03 - Bethesda
04:28 - Friendship Heights
05:37 - Yuma Street
06:28 - Woodley Park
06:56 - The Taft Bridge
07:34 - Dupont Circle
08:39 - Farragut North
09:26 - Metro Center
10:33 - Gallery Place-Chinatown
11:13 - Union Station
12:00 - NoMa-Gallaudet U
13:06 - Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood
13:33 - Fort Totten
14:07 - Takoma
14:20 - Silver Spring
14:44 - Forest Glen
15:23 - Wheaton
16:13 - Glenmont
16:27 - Outro
16:47 - Credits
love that someone is finally taking the famed "secrets of the underground" format and making a video about a North America system.
Agreed.
Its also made by Geoff Marshall and brought to North America by Andy on Track
I rode the Metro train the first day of operation March 1976. Both on free-ride day on Saturday and the first day of regular service on Monday.
I was the first passenger to ever board at the Van Ness-UDC station on 12/5/1981.
That is so cool!!! Thanks for watching :)
Love it. How’s it feel to be a small part of history?
🚇
Fun fact for Rockville: to build the Metro station, they actually lifted, relocated and rotated the entire original B&O railroad station building and freight house built in 1873 to make way for the new Red Line track. if you look into old satellite images, you can see how they shifted the B&O station 50 meters east and rotated it by about 150°. pretty cool that they decided to lift up and move the historical buildings rather than demolish them or take them apart and then rebuild. they’re used as office spaces now!
I like your tribute to the artwork in the WMATA system... As a worker for the system, I dislike how they take the cheapest method of making additions to the system by just tacking cables and wires to the wall, cluttering up its beautiful Brutalist architecture.
I ride the Red Line often, so this is a great video for me. Here are some things you didn't mention.
1) The on-platform fare gates at Shady Grove were only just installed. It was in '21-'22 while both SG and Rockville were shut down for canopy replacement. They are exit-only.
2) Rockville is also an Amtrak station. It's the first station heading northwest out of DC.
3)Your video leaving Silver Spring shows a glimpse of the elevated Purple Line that is under construction.
4) The Silver Spring and Bethesda stations are less than four miles apart physically, yet they are more than a dozen stations apart! That's due to the Red Line's U-shaped route.
These are some great bonus facts--thanks for sharing!
@@andyontrack Also forgot the "secret" track from the Red Line to the Yellow/Green line. I rode that back when they opened the northern end of the Greenbelt line but before they opened the underground portion. One main fact is that this Red/Green line hybrid skipped Fort Toten altogether.
@@drakeil I don’t think it’s “secret “you can clearly see it after leaving Brookland going towards FT. Toten . It’s used often for non passenger service
thats why u take the J2
oh, for the first one, i thought it was new to me and i decided to use the main exit. also i use google maps for the shady grove station and its from 2019, so yeah.
Probably the best video on the Metro out there. Absolutely incredible job guys, I love the editing and wide variety of sources. I am a contractor for Metro who absolutely loves learning about this stuff, so please make more! Metro needs more rail enthusiast TH-camrs (like Geoff) so people can appreciate what a great system it has. I am subscribed.
Thank you so much--your comment means a lot! And don't worry, we're hard at work on the next video. :)
@andyontrack when is the next video coming out?
I just finished riding all the lines recently.
Exactly! I half-expected Andy to do the whole video in a hammy British accent as a tribute
Even as an urban planner, transit nerd who has read the Metro book and all kinds of random Metro info, and former daily Red Line rider, I did not know a majority of the facts mentioned in this video. I also almost never comment on TH-cam videos but had to share how great this was and that I greatly look forward to watching the videos for other lines!
Thank you so much! :)
This is honestly the best video I've seen on the metro, this system gets hardly any videos despite being one of the best in America, thanks for making this video, I learnt so much more about the red line!
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
surprised you didn't call out Farragut Crossing! Pretty neat! Great video btw!!
"Customers can exit either Farragut North or West, walk a short distance above ground around Farragut Square and reenter the system at the other Farragut station without paying extra. Previously, Metro's fare system would have interpreted the transfer as two separate trips."
another cool feature: ""Simply tap your SmarTrip card each time you enter or exit the Metrorail system and you have 30 minutes to complete the outdoor transfer, allowing plenty of time to grab a sandwich along the way.
As an undergraduate in 1976 I had an internship on Capitol Hill and a room near Dupont Circle. The Metro was in its very early days, but the exact stretch I needed -- Dupont Circle to Union Station -- was I think the first to open. Which made me among the first wave of Metro commuters.
BTW, Jeff Chyatte's "Sonata" bears a striking resemblance to the Sibelius memorial in Helsinki, Finland!
Just looked this up--so true! Perhaps it was the inspiration?
Tenleytown and Van Ness shouldn’t have been skipped over! Tenleytown’s street level elevator on the east side goes directly down to the train platform, which is pretty unusual for elevators in the system. There’s a single fair gate at the bottom of the elevator. At Van Ness, there’s pretty interesting sculptures outside the west entrance of the station, huge concrete balls covered in rhinestones, and rocks. The bus bay at that station is also abandoned for metro bus use (Metrobus H2 stopped serving it, and bus N8 was discontinued) but I'm not sure if the adjacent UDC campus uses the bay or not. Nothing really worth mentioning at Cleveland park. Metro Center also has the now defunct metro sales office located in the station. There have been plans to build a pedestrian tunnel between Metro center and Gallery Place - Chinatown due to the close proximity between the two stations but this has yet to take place. Otherwise, great vid!
I remember when they were planning that tunnel.
That Friendship Heights elevator transition 🔥🔥
I used to live between the Cleveland Park and Van Ness stops on the Red Line. One thing I loved about these two stations in particular is that you can cross Connecticut Avenue underground. Very handy when you don't want to wait at a crosswalk!
I live by Van Ness and have thought about this, but I can't imagine it ever being faster than just waiting. I should time myself sometime just to be sure.
The Woodley Park Zoo station has a provision for a surface entrance on the east side of Connecticut Avenue, The provision is in the east wall on the landing at the bottom of the surface entrance escalators.
If I remember correctly, that was similar thing with Tenlytown and the entrance straddling Wisconsin Ave. I used to get off there when I worked three blocks from the station.
When I was in 6th grade, my house on the corner of Rockville Pike and Flanders Avenue was condemned for the Red line.
Nice job Andy.
I am a native of Montgomery County and relied on the Metro train, since I was a little kid to a college student. Silver Spring Station is near and dear to my heart.
Keep up the good work, cannot wait until you cover the Purple line.
We need Geoff Marshall to see this!! Amazing!
Totally agree, glad you enjoyed it!
I rode the Red Line for 30 years and have just passed by many of the things you pointed out. My exercise for the day was running up the wheaton escalator.
As a fan of the DC metro, I loved this video! Hoping to see more deep dives into the other lines haha!
Hey, I'm a DC Metro fangir too!
I grew to loathe Gallery Place and Union Station back in 2007. I lived in New Carrollton but worked in Friendship Heights for my first job. I used to try and save commute time by parking at College Park station and catching the train there. It was TORTURE switching off at Gallery Place due to the weird layout as people refused to move down the platform. Later, I realized it was actually quicker to ride MARC from New Carrollton to Union Station and switch. However, it was SO crowded during rush hour.
This show and your narration about the Red Line is so comprehensive that I am seeing more about the Red Line than when I visited Metrorail's subway stations. Also, I saw more areas that I had not even noticed at the surface and elevated stations. The Metrorail stations have very interesting mezzanine and entrance designs. I am sorry to mention that Judiciary Square Station has been overlooked. However, I know the site well, because I used to visit the former Metro Headquarters. Also, Cleveland Park, Van Ness-UDC, and Brookland stations are not in this show. I hope to see more of your coverage on the blue, orange, and silver lines, even the green and yellow lines, too. The Metrorail stations are my main attraction. Your coverage of the Red Line is the best report.
Brings back memories from my childhood. I remember riding the Red Line to the Zoo, or for a nice day with the family in DC. Hope to some day come back for a visit. Nice video. Cheers from Brasil.
I remember when Glenmont was being built in the late 90s. I was in elementary school. It was a thrill to utilize the brand new station, later, as a middle schooler
There is also a connection between the Red Line and the Blue/Orange/Silver Line just South of Farragut North.
this was great. as someone who rides the red line frequently i found it so cool that someone made a video on something i use frequently. made trains feel almost romantic when i know damn well what goes on those trains
Wonderful video. Made me love this town and our delightful metro system a little more
Thank you so much! The metro is a really fun system to explore :)
Moved to DC a year ago and I LOVE the metro! I need to ride them more and explore the tracks I haven’t been on.
Avoid the Green Line if possible. Smells like youknowwhat and there’s always drama and the highest crime rate of any metro line.
@@meetmeinva That was the bane of my existence growing up in DC. I was around when they started extending to Greenbelt and Branch Ave. It was part of the reason I hated taking the F4 down the street to PG Plaza.
Wow! Your attention to detail and presentation was great! Looking forward to additional lines. Keep up the great work.
2:10….. wait…. what did he say? Grosvenor …. The “s” is silent…. Grove-nor
Right. I have never heard the "s" pronounced in Grosvenor.
This video is a gem! Great work, thank you
It was an excellent video. Thank you for your time in sharing such interesting facts about the Red Line. Looking forward to learning about the secrets of the other lines!
Thank you! Keep an eye out for our future videos! :)
Dude this was a great video, so surprised it's your first one! I really appreciated the attention to detail - would love to see a vid on the Silver Line!
Grew up taking the Red line, and I didn't even notice half of this stuff!! Great video, truly.
Really enjoyed your Red Line video! Katie/Daniel shared it with me last month (I was at G/S from 2011-2016) and I just got a chance to watch it. Excellently presented and well produced - great work! I loved the Metro when I lived in town; glad to see G/S has has another superfan on staff.
Thanks for this video! I've previously lived in DC twice, totaling more than 9 years, and I still learned several things about the Metro that I didn't know. Now I want to go check out that weird little entrance to Forest Glen! 🙂
Very well made and informative video, Andy! Thanks for putting this together and taking us along for the ride. Happy to subscribe to this channel, and excited to see the next lines you ride for us!
So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the subscription! It was great to meet you yesterday!
Awesome video!! Such interesting history and information. Can't wait for next video
Hi Andy this is Sammy, a guy you met at the silver line opening, we exchanged info but you never got back to any of my messages, good to see that you're still out there doing things. Hope our paths cross again.
Sammy! I think we had a mix-up with phone numbers, but great to hear from you! Hope to stay in touch :)
What a great informative video that shares so much of the rich history of the area. I cant wait for the video on the green line!
I love watching these facts, you just earned a new subscriber!
Great video, really looking forward to the other lines!
I loved the interesting facts about the red line that I didn't know! Thanks so much. I'd love one of these videos for each of the lines if you get the time!
Like a perfect mix of Geoff Marshall and Rick Steves. Great work!
Thank you so much for the video!!!😊
What a great project, Andy. I enjoyed it.
Absolutely incredible job with this video. I’m a long time WMATA enthusiast and I learned many new things here. Well done! Please make more. A video about the Metrobus system and its streetcar origins would be really interesting too.
Great video, just enough info but not overboard, I love the penguin mural too. Next time I go to DC I am going to visit it because of your video! Thank you and do the rest! Well done!
Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy your visit to the mural :)
The Red line has always been my favorite ever since I grew up in the DC area back from 1995 until now
Very good video, you’ve earned my subscription! I wish this video was around the last time I was in DC, I would’ve loved to see all the artwork. Looking forward to more videos from you.
We'll keep them coming! Thanks for the sub! :)
Very well done, thanks for posting
When I explored DC in 2022, I had a hotel in Dupont Circle. That station was very deep underground. Sometimes it would make my ears pop!
great video!! i’ve become very familiar with red line recently, but i didn’t know most of the things in this video. looking forward to a video on the green line
Woooww, this was so neat. So many things hidden in mostly plain sight. Great video!!!
Great video! I live near the metro and never knew most of this red line history until now! I have a car so I don't take the metro as much anymore but it's still nice to know the history behind our city and good to know that it's always there if we need it!
Great video and looking forward to more colors!! Thanks for all the fun and interesting facts/history. I'm gonna toss in one more about the Red Line: It's the only line that does not go to L'Enfant Plaza. Keep it up and hitting the like, subscribe, and notification bell!!
Very well done video! Lots of great historical facts. I also love the jazzy music.
Thank you so much! :)
Do more of these! Nice tour of the red line.
Great video! I love the penguins ❤ I get to see them everyday.
Well done! Because of where I live in work, I only ever ride silver, blue, and sometimes orange. I might have to go on a "field trip" to explore the red line.
So fun to watch! Great job!!
Love this video! Need secrets of the other lines as well fam!
Incredible video. Please do this for the rest of the metro if you can!
Great video! I’ve used the red line so much but had no idea about the secrets. Hope you’re doing well Andy!
Glad you enjoyed--hope you're doing well as well!
plz make MORE this was AWESOME! and now i love the metro system EVEN MORE and i LOVE riding the trains
Great video! I grew up here, and I can't believe I didn't know about the Dupont streetcar station and underground. Very cool!
Min 9:28 broooo that operator thats my boi.... One of my fav operators. I know him and we are friends. Hes Andre, thats cool to hear him. Hes currently operating in OR Line. Interesting and informative video dude! Nice Job.
That is so cool, what a small world! Thanks for watching :)
bravo man! learned a lot in this video. cant wait to learn more about the other lines. keep it up bro
Thank you!
Just wanted to say thank you for such a cool video, and thank you for including proper captions in English.
I really enjoyed this video, Andy. Please, more from the metro lines of DC. Greetings from Hamburg, Germany!
Don't worry, the next video is in the works! :)
EXCELLENT tour vid!! I loved this part of living in the greater DC area as a kid in the 80s. Amazing to see so much as I left it. Shady Grove was where my family would go to ride the metro.
More vids please! Subscription earned!
Thanks so much for subscribing, glad you liked the video!
Great video man! The metro was one of my favorite trains at all times
Cool video I rode the red line metro for years some stops I never got off of so it's good to see how it looks outside on those stops finally
These are so well done.
I'm a pretty adventurous guy, and I knew about most of the secrets at the stations that I've used, from Shady Grove to Forest Glen. But after watching this video, I will be certain to keep a look out for all of the artwork that I've never paid attention to. Thank you for making this video, this is one of the best videos I have seen on the metro. Keep the series up! :)
Thank you so much for your kind words! :)
Great video Andy, I've been a red line rider for years and noticed many of these (by no means all!) but never knew the full story
looking forward to more videos! would love to see one on the green line :)
Extremely informative and pleasant video for a system I ride every day. I hope you do these for the other lines.
Also, a few stations are missing, such as Judiciary Square. No secrets for these?
Solid video.
Alas, we couldn't fit every station in the video--but stay tuned for a "Bonus Secrets of the Metro" video down the road!
Love this!
Great video! The sourcing and editing are excellent, and I loved the parts about the infrastructure. I also liked the classical music selections and the explanations of the art that some people may never notice.
Additionally, while Judiciary Square and Brookland are missing, I know the latter is an unremarkable station. I haven’t explored the former, though.
Happy to hear you enjoyed the video! We couldn't fit in every station, I'm afraid--but stay tuned for a "Bonus Secrets of the Metro" down the road ;)
I don’t remember much about the station itself, but Judiciary Square is a beautiful plaza. I definitely recommend you visit when you’re nearby at some point
@@pizzajona Thank you for the suggestion! I’ll keep that in mind.
I really enjoyed this video, I’ve always thought the metro system there was an architectural marvel. The red line is what we would always take to go into D.C, so this video was especially interesting to me!
Great video! What happened to judiciary square and brookland stops?
We couldn't fit in every station, I'm afraid--but stay tuned for a "Bonus Secrets of the Metro" down the road ;)
That vent shaft near Tenlytown station was a park I always went to as a child, brings me chills just seeing it empty here. Used to go there with all my friends.
Cool to know people actually use the park--whenever we visited it was empty
Great video, Can't wait for you to the Green line along with the rest.
i remember sitting on the Wheaton escalator with my sister and with our grandma standing behind us every time we down to the platform. we would occasionally make the trip all the way down to Pentagon City mall for Panda Express. Good times 🥰
What an amazing video! I’ve been investigating this metro system recently and this video just hype me more about it! Great job.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
Amazing work
Very interesting facts. I just moved to DC near the Red Line and am excited to find these hidden gems.
Absolutely excellent video
I absolutely love this! Please please please do more about the other color lines!
Thank you so much! And it's already in the works :)
Can’t wait to see silver! Curious to know what notable things you’ll uncover about Loudon Gateway 😂
@@ItsLikeAShammy It's actually named "Loudoun Gateway". Just little bit more south of the station itself was a historical black community Willard Crossroads where some of the current runways of Dulles airport are. Many historic battles also happened in the area, such as Manassas Battlefield. Towns like Leesburg/Winchester are older than DC by about 50 years too. Then for some present day facts, you have Ashburn station located in the middle of the place where more than 70% of world's internet goes through.
@@zahir2942 thanks for catching that typo - I’ve edited it! Those are interesting fact to know but there doesn’t seem to be anything notable about the station itself. In fact, it seems very poorly located as there’s nothing but a parking lot. Hopefully future dense or mixed use development can occur in the coming years to make the station an appealing destination for people
Incredible video!
As someone who grew up in Lanham, MD (within walking distance of the New Carrolton Metro/Amtrak which my mom and I also used to visit my aunt in Wilmington, DE) I can't wait for the Orange line vid.
Tallis’s 3rd mode melody via Vaughn Williams, a favorite!
Hello there! 🔴🟠🟡🟢🔵⚪
This video is so cool! I live in Bethesda so the red line is the one I take. Grovesnor Strathmore includes totems made by students from my school, and I used to take dance classes in Strathmore. It’s kind of a second home in a sense to me. Thank you for bringing all the cool unique quirks of the red line to light!
Thank you for the kind comment! :) So glad you enjoyed the video.
It’s weird to see the stations where I grew up in a video. They’re just stations, but I commuted through them in the stable and darkest times of my life. I got goosebumps seeing those shots of what I live every day.
excellent work 💪🏾
Thanks for showing all these facts about the Red Line, I know nothing about all the stations besides the one that is next to my house
Very cool video!
Awesome video...thx
What a really great video.
Nice presentation my man.