Silver Lining: Light at the End of the Track, Falls Church Patch, December 20, 2010 (Part I of III)

The end of the project is in sight, but the day passengers climb aboard isn’t.

By Lauren Sausser

In this series, Patch looks at the Silver Line, Metro's largest expansion in its 34-year history.

The first 11.7-mile phase of the new Dulles Metrorail is scheduled for completion in less than three years, but there is no official prediction when the line will actually open for commuters.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority — which is managing the new Silver Line construction — says it cannot estimate an open-for-business date because safety tests will be conducted on the new rail after construction is finished and Metro employees must be trained to operate the new track.

"At this point in time, we haven't worked out the details," said Pat Nowakowski, executive director of the Dulles Metrorail Corridor Project. . . .

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