Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Potomac Yard Metrorail Station

Burns designed the station’s specialized rail systems and supported implementation, integration and commissioning for signals, communications, and additional wayside technology systems.

The $370-million design-build project redeveloped a defunct rail yard into a multi-modal transportation hub for the growing Alexandria community.

Only the second infill station in the Metro system’s history, the 100,000-square-foot Potomac Yard Metrorail station creates a vital connection point for Metrorail passengers traveling along WMATA’s Blue/Yellow Line. The station will connect the Potomac Yard neighborhood to downtown Washington, D.C., the future Amazon HQ2 headquarters, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Potomac Yard is anticipated to generate billions of dollars in new private sector investment, eventually creating an estimated 26,000 new jobs and potentially attracting 13,000 new residents to the region.

Supporting Potomac Yard Constructors, a Halmar International and Schiavone Construction Co. joint venture, Burns led design and managed integration of various rail infrastructure technologies, including:

• Automatic Train Control (ATC) system
• Wayside signal and communication systems
• Traction power
• Vehicle-born communications and security systems

Burns developed a tracking database and integration test procedures for all design interfaces, including system components throughout the station, mezzanine, pedestrian bridges, and north and south pavilion. Burns’ scope involved:

• Field supervision for the rail cut-over process
• Equipment integration, testing and commissioning services
• Safety and security certifications

The Potomac Yard station opened in May 2023. The project was among the 2024 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) National Recognition Award recipients.

Additional WMATA projects include the Yellow Line steel liner and bridge rehabilitation, Metrorail broadband fiber-optic network infrastructure, and the Bethesda Metrorail Station’s new vertical passenger mezzanine.