DC Metro User's Guide The Five Lines of the DC Metro System

Lights line the edge of the station platform in each of DC's subway stations, and will begin flashing as a train approaches. photo by Daniel Leininger (CC BY 2.0)

The Washington DC Metro subway system contains five lines. Each of these intersect at various points in Washington DC, and terminate in the surrounding areas. Lines are named by color, with the system containing the Red Line, Green Line, Yellow Line, Blue Line, and Orange Line. In areas, the Blue and Orange Lines, the Yellow and Green Lines, and the Blue and Yellow Lines share the same track. In some cases, this means that multiple lines may be able to get you to your destination. In other cases, it means that you need to be careful to get on a train traveling on the correct route from a given platform, as cars taking different lines will end up visiting different stations. Electronic signs on the side of each car indicate the line which that particular train is operating on within the DC Metro system.