Federal Triangle station

Federal Triangle station is an Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., United States. The island-platformed station was opened on July 1, 1977, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Providing service for the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines, the station's entrance is beneath the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building.

Federal Triangle
Station platform in January 2004
General information
Location	302 12th Street NW Washington, D.C.
Owned by	Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Metrobus: 32, 33, 36, 59, 63, 64, S2 DC Circulator MTA Maryland Commuter Bus OmniRide Commuter
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Bicycle facilities	20 racks
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	D01
History
Opened	July 1, 1977; 46 years ago (July 1, 1977)
Passengers
2023	3,099 daily^[1]
Rank	29th
Services
Preceding station Washington Metro Following station Metro Center toward Vienna Orange Line Smithsonian toward New Carrollton Metro Center toward Ashburn Silver Line Smithsonian toward Downtown Largo Metro Center toward Franconia–Springfield Blue Line
Location

History

The station opened on July 1, 1977.^[2] Its opening coincided with the completion of 11.8 miles (19.0 km)^[3] of rail between National Airport and RFK Stadium and the opening of the Arlington Cemetery, Capitol South, Crystal City, Eastern Market, Farragut West, Federal Center SW, Foggy Bottom–GWU, L'Enfant Plaza, McPherson Square, National Airport, Pentagon, Pentagon City, Potomac Avenue, Rosslyn, Smithsonian, and Stadium–Armory stations.^[4] Orange Line service to the station began upon the line's opening on November 20, 1978.^[5] Silver Line service at Federal Triangle began on July 26, 2014.^[6]

On January 13, 1982, an eastbound Metro train on the Orange Line derailed just east of the station resulting in three fatalities, the first fatalities in the system's history.^[7]

From March 26, 2020 until June 28, 2020, this station was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8][9][10]

Between January 15 to January 21, 2021, this station was closed because of security concerns due to the Inauguration of Joe Biden.^[11]

Location

The station serves an area of Washington crowded with federal buildings, on 12th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Constitution Avenue NW, including the triangular area formed by 15th Street, Constitution, and Pennsylvania known as Federal Triangle, from which the station takes its name. The triangle includes such federal buildings as the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, the Herbert C. Hoover Building (Department of Commerce), and the buildings of the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Station layout

Federal Triangle utilizes the simple island platform layout. There are two tracks: track D1 is used for trains bound for New Carrollton and Downtown Largo, and track D2 is used for trains going to Vienna, Ashburn and Franconia–Springfield.^[12] As with all stations on the Metro, there are platform edge lights to warn passengers of incoming trains. In 2008, WMATA installed red-colored LED lights at Federal Triangle and centrally-located stations after a successful pilot at Gallery Place.^[13] There is a coffered barrel-vault ceiling at Federal Triangle, as is typical of other Washington Metro stations built at that time.

There is only one entrance to the platform level, located slightly south of the center of the platform.^[14] Escalators from this mezzanine level lead to the plaza of the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building.

G	Street level	Exit/entrance, buses
	Upper mezzanine	Escalator landing, Ronald Reagan Building access
M	Mezzanine	Fare gates, ticket machines, station agent
P Platform level	Westbound	←   toward Franconia–Springfield (Metro Center) ←   toward Ashburn (Metro Center) ←   toward Vienna (Metro Center)
	Island platform
	Eastbound	→     toward Downtown Largo (Smithsonian) → →   toward New Carrollton (Smithsonian) →

In popular culture

The station was featured in the 2007 film Breach^{[citation needed]}.

Notable places nearby

 

12th Street NW pylon

• Several federal government buildings in and near the Federal Triangle
  • William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building (United States Environmental Protection Agency headquarters
    • Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
  • Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building (Department of Justice headquarters)
  • Herbert C. Hoover Building (Department of Commerce headquarters)
    • National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.
    • White House Visitor Center
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • J. Edgar Hoover Building (Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters)
  • Old Post Office (Waldorf=Astoria Hotel)
  • Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
• Freedom Plaza
• National World War I Memorial
• National Mall
  • Several Smithsonian Institution museums on the Mall, including the National Museum of American History and National Museum of Natural History

References

1. "Metrorail Ridership Summary". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
2. Feaver, Douglas B. (July 1, 1977), "Today, Metro could be U.S. model", The Washington Post, p. A1
3. (PDF). WMATA. 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
4. "Metro's newest stations: Where they are, what's nearby", The Washington Post, June 24, 1977
5. Eisen, Jack; John Feinstein (November 18, 1978), "City-County fanfare opens Orange Line; Ceremonies open new Orange Line", The Washington Post, p. D1
6. Halsey, Ashley (July 26, 2014). "All aboard! Metro's new Silver Line rolls down the tracks for the first time". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
7. Stephen J. Lynton (January 14, 1982). "Metro Train Derails; 3 Die".
8. (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
9. "Metrorail stations closed due to COVID-19 pandemic". Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. March 23, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
10. "Metro to reopen 15 stations, reallocate bus service to address crowding, starting Sunday | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
11. "Metro announces Inauguration service plans, station closures | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
12. . Archived from the original on September 2, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
13. "Metro installing more red platform edge lights" (Press release). WMATA. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
14. "Blue line". NYCSubway. Retrieved September 11, 2008.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Federal Triangle (WMATA station).

• WMATA Federal Triangle station page

• The Schumin Web Transit Center:
• 12th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View

38°53′38″N 77°01′43″W / 38.893814°N 77.028515°W / 38.893814; -77.028515