Farragut North is a Washington Metrostation in Washington, D.C., on the Red Line. Farragut North serves downtown Washington and is located just north of Farragut Square. It lies at the heart of the business district on Connecticut Avenue, with two entrances at L Street and one at K Street. Adjacent to the L Street entrance was a food court which has its own stairway to the surface; the food court closed in 2007 and was later replaced with a Results Gym location. It is the third-busiest station in the Metro system, averaging 22,949 passengers per weekday as of May 2017. It is also one of the most shallow, with a lower-than-usual ceiling. The low, flat ceiling at the west end was built to accommodate a proposed freeway ramp to Interstate 66, which was never built. Service began on March 27, 1976. The station is named for the adjacent Farragut Square, which takes its name from Admiral David Farragut, the senior officer of the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War.
History
On November 24, 2009, a large crack was found in the ceiling during a routine inspection; repairs began the following day. On February 12, 2010 at approximately 10:13 a.m. a train derailed in the pocket track immediately to the north of the station when the front car left the tracks. Of the approximately 345 passengers on board, one person was transported to the hospital. All of the passengers were evacuated without incident. The cause of the derailment is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. , the station is undergoing structural repairs. The renovation will add a new structural support column. Cracks in the ceiling where moisture is entering the station are being patched and ceiling tiles replaced. In addition, the escalators are being overhauled. South of this station, a non-revenue track diverges from the outbound track that connects with the outbound track on the shared Orange/Blue/Silver Line tracks between Farragut West and McPherson Square.
Station layout
Farragut North station features unique architecture not seen in other stations throughout the system. Its mezzanine stretches across more of the platform and is longer than most, with an open depression looking onto the platform in the middle. There are two elevated mezzanines that serve different escalators and exits. Special buttress-like structures support these stretches of the mezzanine. It is only a block away from Farragut West station; however, there is no direct connection between the two stations. The WMATA originally planned to have a single Farragut station that would serve as an alternate transfer station to ease congestion that would develop in Metro Center. However, it would have been constructed using the cut and cover method, disrupting the square above. Therefore, this proposal was not favored and the two separate stations were built instead. As part of its long-term capital improvement plan dated September 12, 2002, Metro has proposed building an underground pedestrian tunnel connecting this station with Farragut West. On October 28, 2011, Metro announced its Farragut Crossing program, allowing riders using a SmarTrip card up to 30 minutes to transfer for free by foot between Farragut West and Farragut North stations.
Pulse is a 2013 sculpture by Jefre Manuel, installed at the station's Connecticut Avenue and K Street, NW entrance. It is mounted to the wall at the Connecticut Avenue and K Street, NW entrance. The installation is made of acrylic resin tile. It was funded by the Golden Triangle BID and DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
