在华盛顿都会区兴建地铁的计划起始于1955年的大运量交通调查,这项调查旨在预估高速公路和大运量公共交通系统到1980年的运量需求。[2]这项研究在1959年的最终报告中包含了两条快速公共交通线路,其在华盛顿城内的形式预计为地铁。[3]由于这项计划同时需要在华盛顿特区大量兴建高速公路,当地居民游说联邦立法者建立一份高速公路修建的备忘录,直到1962年7月1日。[4]国家首都运输局(英语:National Capital Transportation Agency)在1962年一份名为《国家首都区域的交通》的报告中提出了一条与现今蓝线在弗吉尼亚的线路基本相同的路线:沿着阿灵顿到亚历山卓和春田的既有铁路修建。[5]报告中没有提及乔治王子郡境内的线路。[5]直到华盛顿都会区交通局(缩写:WMATA)成立,这条线路都被保留在快速公共交通计划中。
在ARS的计划里,蓝线的终点站是艾迪逊路。然而体育观众一直要求将地铁再延伸3英里(4.8公里)到位于拉戈的首都中心(英语:Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland))体育馆。1997年2月27日,WMATA委员会批准了延长线的修建。[17]但到2004年延长线开通运营的时候,职业篮球、曲棍球的场馆已经移动到了画廊站附近的新场馆,且首都中心处也改建为了购物中心。不过延长线仍然服务了不少体育观众,因为橄榄球的联邦快递球场亦位于延长线的步行距离之内。[27]延长线的修建总共花费了4亿5600万美元。[28]
华盛顿地铁蓝线于西南方向的终点站是法兰克尼亚-春田站,位于前线路(Frontier Drive)和法兰克尼亚-春田公园大道(Franconia-Springfield Parkway,弗吉尼亚289号公路)的路口。蓝线在地面上沿着CSX运输的铁路向北,并与黄线在亚历山德里亚老城的国王街交汇;共线之后继续沿着CSX铁路向北,直到向东抬高为高架线路,进入国家机场车站。之后蓝线在水晶城的南15街进入地下隧道,向北穿过海耶斯街和五角大楼的停车场。蓝线在这个隧道与黄线分离,并沿着110号弗吉尼亚州级公路在地面向北,然后在罗斯林以南进入地下,并和橙线、银线共线。隧道在地下穿过北林恩街、波多马克河,然后沿西北区I街向东。隧道在西北区第12街向南,在地铁中心站从下面穿过红线。隧道在西南区D街下向东转,在朗方广场站从下面穿过黄、绿线。隧道继续沿着东南区宾夕法尼亚大道、G街和波多马克大道向东,然后沿着东南区第19街向北、在东北区俄克拉荷马大道附近的罗伯特·F·甘迺迪纪念体育场转为地面线。蓝线随后经本宁路附近的桥穿过安那考斯迪亚河,与橙线分离并再次进入地下隧道,沿着东国会街穿过本宁路向东。蓝线和银线随后转为地面或高架线(偶尔有较短的隧道)从艾迪逊路站沿着中央大道直到东边的终点站拉戈镇中心站(英语:Largo Town Center station)。[43]
2012年6月18日,华盛顿地铁开始启动已经酝酿一段时间的名为“高峰+”(英語:Rush+)的服务计划。该计划意在消除罗斯林站的拥堵(此处蓝线和橙线交汇)且为提供银线服务做好准备。[46]根据这一计划,蓝线保持原有线路不变,部分黄线列车从法兰克尼亚-春田站发车,经芬威克桥(英语:14th Street Bridge (Potomac River))前往绿带站。[47]在高峰期,蓝线上的列车数量减少,意味着候车时间可能增加。此外,在2014年银线开通之前,一些橙线列车也驶往拉戈镇中心。[48]
^(1) Frank IBC. Comments. The Metro plan has changed a lot since 1968. Greater Greater Washington. 2014-07-26 [June 28, 2017]. (原始内容存档于2017-06-28). There used to be a rail line from Rosslyn to the Long Bridge, but that was replaced by the Blue Line. (2) 1942 map showing the Rosslyn Connecting Railroad, the planned route of Virginia State Route 110 (below the railroad), The Pentagon building and Arlington National Cemetery: Plate 22. Plat Book of Arlington County, Virginia. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Franklin Survey Company. 1943 [2019-10-25]. (原始内容存档于2021-08-25) –通过Historic Map Works, LLC. Residential Genealogy. (3) Maps and images of the area near the former route of the Rosslyn Connecting Railroad at the Arlington Cemetery Station of Metrorail's Blue Line (Coordinates: 38°53′03″N77°03′46″W / 38.884224°N 77.062888°W / 38.884224; -77.062888 (Arlington Cemetery Station of Metrorail's Blue Line in Arlington County, Virginia))
^ 10.010.1(1) Certificate: Rosslyn Connecting Railroad Company - Virginia 1944. Scripophily.com. [2017-06-27]. (原始内容存档于2017-06-28). Continuing south in Virginia was the Alexandria and Washington Railroad, opened in 1857. The Baltimore and Potomac acquired this line after reaching it, operating it until 1901, when the Washington Southern Railway (the successor of the Alexandria and Washington) was taken over by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, an independent bridge line owned equally by the PRR and five other railroads. Soon after, in 1904, the line from the Long Bridge to Rosslyn, built by the Washington Southern, was split off into the Rosslyn Connecting Railroad, owned by the PRR. (2) CSXvet. Re: W&OD Railroad - Adjacent to Pentagon?. Nostalgia & History > W&OD Railroad. Trainorders.com. 2003-07-26 [2017-07-01]. (原始内容存档于2017-07-01) –通过Digicert.com. The railroad that ran past the Pentagon was the onetime Pennsylvania RR Rosslyn branch. This branch left the mainline at RO (for Rosslyn) tower at the south end of the bridge over the Potomac and basically followed the Potomac northwest to Rosslyn. Part of it was built on the bed of the old canal that connected Alexandria with the C&O Canal in Georgetown. (3) The Commission. Valuation Docket No. 160: Rosslyn Connecting Railroad Company: Appendix 1. Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States (Valuation Reports): October 1925 — February 1926 (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Publishing Office). 1926, 106: 678 [2019-10-26]. ISSN 0083-1530. OCLC 6392128. (原始内容存档于2021-08-25) –通过HathiTrust Digital Library. The grading is rather light. The most of the line follows along the route of an old disused canal and in constructing the roadbed the carrier used the canal grading as far as possible.
^(1) Wilson, William Bender. History of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company: with Plan of Organization, Portraits of Officials and Biographical Sketches1. Philadelphia: Henry T. Coates & Co. 1899: 332 [2017-06-27]. OCLC 671596804. (原始内容存档于2021-08-25) –通过Google Books. The Washington Southern Railway extends from the junction of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad at the south end of the Long Bridge, opposite Washington, D. C., to Quantico, Virginia, a distance of 32.12 miles. It has three branches — .... ; and the Rosslyn branch from the south end of the Long Bridge to the south end of the Aqueduct at the village of Rosslyn, Va., opposite Georgetown, D. C., a distance of 1.13 miles. This latter branch was opened for business April 2, 1896. (2) 1900 map showing the Washington Southern Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad (formerly the Washington Southern Railway) inside the route of the "Old Alexandria Canal" within the "Arlington Reservation", between the Potomac River and the "National Cemetery": Map of Alexandria County, Virginia for the Virginia Title Co.. Alexandria, Virginia: The Company. 1900 [2019-10-07]. (原始内容存档于2021-08-25) –通过Library of Congress website.
^Feaver, Douglas B. Today, Metro could be U.S. model. The Washington Post. 1977-07-01: A1 [2017-07-01]. (原始内容存档于2017-07-01). With the opening today of its 12-mile-long Blue Line from National Airport to RFK Stadium, Washington's Metro subway grows from a downtown demonstration line into the spine of a regional transportation system that could rival the Capital Beltway in its effect on Washington.
^ 17.017.117.2Metro History(PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. [2017-07-01]. (原始内容(PDF)存档于2017-07-01).
^Cooke, Janet. Three new Metro stations have a festive first day. The Washington Post. 1980-11-23: D1.
^Staff Reporters. Van Dorn Station to open. The Washington Post. 1991-06-15: B5.
^Tousignant, Marylou. At last, Metro reaches end of the Blue Line; Franconia-Springfield station to begin service on Sunday. The Washington Post. 1997-06-27: B1.
^Dana, Rebecca. Metro, Prince George's extend their reach; Two new Blue Line stations open, bringing passengers and economic potential. The Washington Post. 2004-12-19: C2.
^Eisen, Jack; John Feinstein. City-County fanfare opens Orange Line; Ceremonies open new Orange Line. The Washington Post. 1978-11-08: D1.
^Feaver, Douglas B.; Sandra G. Boodman. Area celebrates extension of Metrorail in Arlington. The Washington Post. 1979-12-02: C1.
^(1) Sun, Lena H. Metro Explores Rerouting Blue Line. The Washington Post. 2008-02-11: B-01 [2011-06-02]. (原始内容存档于2016-03-03). (2) Graphic. A New Direction for the Blue Line. The Washington Post. 2008-02-12 [2011-06-02]. (原始内容存档于2016-03-04). (3) Metro unveils new system map in preparation for Rush Plus: New rush service pattern begins June 18, 2012. Metro News Release. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2012-03-19 [2021-08-27]. (原始内容存档于2017-07-05). Rush Plus is designed to ease crowding, improve the commuting experience for Metrorail riders on the Orange, Blue, Green and Yellow lines, and prepare for the future Silver Line. .... Every third existing Blue Line train (three trains per hour in each direction) will now operate between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt via the Yellow Line bridge. These trains will be identified as Yellow Line trains. As a result, customers at Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street and stations from L'Enfant Plaza to Greenbelt will have new transfer-free trip options between certain stations.
^(1) Metro unveils new system map in preparation for Rush Plus: New rush service pattern begins June 18, 2012. Metro News Release. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2012-03-19 [2017-07-05]. (原始内容存档于2017-07-05). Rush Plus is designed to ease crowding, improve the commuting experience for Metrorail riders on the Orange, Blue, Green and Yellow lines, and prepare for the future Silver Line. .... During each rush hour period, 18 new Orange Line trains — three per hour in each direction — will operate between Vienna and Largo Town Center. (2) Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Gaining Momentum: FY2015 Approved Budget: Effective July 1, 2014(PDF): IV-33. 2014-05-22 [2017-06-05]. (原始内容(PDF)存档于2017-07-05).