At night - where to transfer from Amtrak NE Regional to Metro orange line?

[Anonymous]

I'm a petite female who lives in Northern Virginia on the range line. I'm going to be returning to the DC area on a NE Regional train around 8:00 pm on a weeknight. My two options for switching to the orange line are:

1) Take the NE Regional to Union Station, switch to the red line, and then switch to the orange line at Metro Center.
2) Take the NE Regional to New Carrollton and switch to the orange line there.

Would one of these choices be safer than the other?

[Anonymous]

8pm on a weeknight is light outside and still sort of the end of rush hour. You should transfer at Metro Center. New Carrollton is way out of the way.

If you are uncomfortable can you take an Uber?

It sounds like you're afraid of the metro. Don't worry: it's not scary and it's not to difficult if you know what stations to go to!

[Anonymous]

DP. I would change at New Carrollton. I am male and average height. I do not feel safe at Union Station outside of 8am to 5pm rush hours. Lots of sketchy people congregate at Union Station. This is one of the reasons Amtrak wants full control of Union Station.

[Anonymous]

I would change at New Carrollton. The stations are right next to each other so you exit Amtrak and get right onto the Metro Orange line.

It’s a safe station - the Metro police department is right there in the metro building across the street and they share parking with the metro customers.

Your other option requires two changes - Union Station get on a red line then transfer to Orange at Metro Center. I’m not a fan of the Union Station option because of the distance between Amtrak and Metro and it’s a less comfortable option to me when you’re thinking about safety. Plus you have to wait for trains twice. But that being said I don’t think it’s a high risk area. I haven’t looked at crime stats for about six mi this but if you’re concerned you can do that.

[Anonymous]

Change at NC and sit in the first car if you feel unsafe.

[Anonymous]

It's really easy to transfer at New Carrollton if your train stops there.

[Anonymous]

I think you’re going to be adding a significant amount of time to your journey if you switch at NC. Union Station is the next stop from NC on Amtrak, but there are MANY stops on the Orange Line between NC and Metro Center. At Union station, all you need to do is get of the train, go to the right of the platforms and you are basically at the metro.

[Anonymous]

Why does it matter that you are a "petite female?" FFS. Union Station is fine at 8p.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you’re going to be adding a significant amount of time to your journey if you switch at NC. Union Station is the next stop from NC on Amtrak, but there are MANY stops on the Orange Line between NC and Metro Center. At Union station, all you need to do is get of the train, go to the right of the platforms and you are basically at the metro.

But you'd have to transfer to the Orange line, so, honestly, it's six of one half a dozen of another if you're going to end up on the Orange line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does it matter that you are a "petite female?" FFS. Union Station is fine at 8p.

It doesn't really matter that she's a petite female. And I certainly have spent time at Union Station later than 8pm. But as someone who has spent many, many hours of my life passing through Union Station and also hanging out there, it's become much less enjoyable since COVID. If you haven't been there a lot lately, you might not be fully informed.

[Anonymous]

Union station

[Anonymous]

Don't get shamed by all the prior posters, take the train to Alexandria and Uber home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does it matter that you are a "petite female?" FFS. Union Station is fine at 8p.

It doesn't really matter that she's a petite female. And I certainly have spent time at Union Station later than 8pm. But as someone who has spent many, many hours of my life passing through Union Station and also hanging out there, it's become much less enjoyable since COVID. If you haven't been there a lot lately, you might not be fully informed.

I take amtrak every two weeks to NYC and live on Capitol Hill. Union Station was a s***show before COVID, but, that doesn't mean I wouldn't transfer to the metro there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does it matter that you are a "petite female?" FFS. Union Station is fine at 8p.

+1.

I thought we were talking about 3am here. 8pm is still light out and the tail end of rush hour. It’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Just go to Union station. Our 73 year old petite grandma does this. Then breeze on to the Metro orange line.