Metrorail Faregate Replacement Project

As the third largest heavy rail transit system in the U.S., Metro is committed to improving the customer experience and ensuring the region’s infrastructure remains in a state of good repair. Every day, over one million transactions take place at the nearly 1,200 faregates across Metro’s 98 stations. In support of its commitment to customers, Metro launched a major initiative to upgrade the aging faregate technology throughout its system.

As part of this initiative, Metro began installing new and more modern faregates in the summer of 2021. The new faregate models are made from brush-finished stainless steel and include advanced safety features, modernized displays and allow for quicker pass-through at the gate. The project reached the mid-way point in April 2022 and Metro expects to have faster and more reliable gates at all of its stations by the end of 2022.

This technology investment means that older SmarTrip cards, purchased before 2012, no longer work and must be replaced. To find out if your SmarTrip card needs to be replaced visit wmata.com/cardreplacement or make your trip even more convenient with mobile pay.

A Modernized Experience and Improved Service for Customers

While the faregates will have a new look, customers can expect the same ease of use they are accustomed to with upgraded features such as:

• Larger displays
• Increased safety features, including improved motion sensors
• More handsfree service options through the kiosk-mounted payment validator and mobile payment through Apple and Google Pay

And that’s not all. The new faregate technology will also provide Metro’s station managers with instant access to faregate data, helping improve customer service when SmarTrip card issues arise.

The upgraded technology will require replacement of Metro’s first generation SmarTrip cards, issued 2012 or earlier. The cards contain outdated chip technology and will not be compatible with the new faregates. To learn more and determine if your card needs to be replaced, visit wmata.com/cardreplacement. 

Timeline

New Faregates Coming Soon: 

• Pentagon
• Potomac Yard

Stations with New Faregates

• Addison Road
• Anacostia
• Archives – Navy Memorial
• Arlington Cemetery
• Ashburn
• Ballston
• Benning Road
• Bethesda
• Braddock Road
• Branch Avenue
• Brookland - CUA
• Capitol Heights
• Capitol South
• Cheverly
• Clarendon
• Cleveland Park
• College Park-U of Md
• Columbia Heights
• Congress Heights
• Court House
• Crystal City
• Deanwood
• Downtown Largo
• Dunn Loring
• Dupont Circle
• East Falls Church
• Eastern Market
• Eisenhower Ave
• Farragut North (northwest entrance)
• Farragut West
• Federal Center SW
• Federal Triangle
• Foggy Bottom - GWU
• Forest Glen
• Fort Totten
• Franconia – Springfield
• Friendship Heights
• Gallery Place
• Georgia Ave-Petworth
• Glenmont
• Greenbelt
• Greensboro
• Grosvenor – Strathmore
• Herndon
• Huntington (north and south entrances)
• Innovation Center
• Judiciary Square
• King Street
• L’Enfant Plaza (east and west entrances)
• L’Enfant Plaza (north entrance)
• Landover
• Loudoun Gateway
• McLean
• McPherson Square
• Medical Center
• Metro Center
• Morgan Boulevard
• Mt Vernon Square
• Navy Yard-Ballpark
• Naylor Road
• New Carrollton
• NoMa-Gallaudet U
• North Bethesda
• Pentagon City
• Potomac Ave
• Prince George's Plaza
• Reston Town Center
• Rhode Island Ave
• Rockville
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
• Rosslyn
• Shady Grove
• Shaw-Howard U
• Silver Spring
• Smithsonian
• Southern Avenue
• Spring Hill
• Stadium-Armory
• Suitland
• Takoma
• Tenleytown -AU
• Twinbrook
• Tysons
• U Street
• Union Station
• Van Dorn St
• Van Ness-UDC
• Vienna
• Virginia Square
• Washington Dulles International Airport
• Waterfront
• West Falls Church
• West Hyattsville
• Wheaton
• Wiehle-Reston
• Woodley Park