Metro remains noncommittal on opening date for Silver Line Phase 2

Metro remains noncommittal on an expected opening date for when phase two of the Silver Line will begin operations.

The 11.4-mile extension from Reston into Loudoun County is expected to open this fall. However, the $2.8 billion project has repeatedly missed estimated targets for opening, leading the transit agency to take a cautious approach to sharing a timeline for when rail service will officially begin.

“We do not have an anticipated date at this time,” Metro spokesperson Ian Jannetta said.

That’s despite a report from NBC4 that attributes a Halloween target date for opening to multiple “sources.”

The news comes after the extension checked off a key milestone last week. The project was formally handed over to Metro on June 23 after achieving operational readiness.

At a board meeting, officials noted that significant work remains to be done.

“It means we’re progressing and getting to the point of passenger service, which we don’t expect to happen until later this fall,” said interim Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager and CEO Andy Off.

A spokesperson declined to comment further on the anticipated opening, noting that the next update is expected at the board’s meeting in late July.

Last summer, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority anticipated a possible completion by March 2022, but ongoing work on safety and testing pushed the “substantial completion” deadline deeper into the year.

Since then, Metro and other stakeholders remained mum about announcing a Silver Line Phase 2 timeline — even when county and regional elected officials pushed for ballpark estimates. The completion date is still years beyond what was initially anticipated when MWAA began courting proposals for the project.