Crystal City station (VRE)


Crystal City station is a commuter rail station in the Crystal City section of Arlington, Virginia, located near the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Ronald Reagan National Airport. It is served by the Fredericksburg Line and Manassas Line of the Virginia Railway Express system. VRE plans to expand the station to accommodate larger trains.

Station layout

There are 3 tracks and 1 side platform located on the west side of the tracks. Crystal City currently represents an "operational bottleneck" for VRE, and is used by 18% of its riders. The single -long platform is shorter than current trains, and also forces all trains onto one track.
VRE plans to expand the station into a full-length center platform serving two tracks, with an overpass or underpass to allow passengers to reach the platform without crossing the tracks at grade. Three location options - at the existing site, or slightly north or south - are being considered. All locations would allow for a future pedestrian bridge or tunnel to Ronald Reagan National Airport to give VRE riders direct airport access. the Crystal City Business Improvement District released a study on connecting the station to the airport. The study concludes a connection would be feasible and examines five bridge options and three tunnel options.