The opening date for the Silver Line has been set for Saturday, July 26, Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles announced yesterday.

Starting that Saturday, service to and from five new Northern Virginia stations – McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill, and Wiehle-Reston East – will begin.

Silver Line trains will operate between Reston and Largo at the same frequency as most other lines. During rush hours, trains will run every six minutes; at off-peak times, trains will run every 12 to 20 minutes.

Metro plans to conduct a week of “simulated service” starting on Sunday, July 20. During the service simulation, Silver Line trains will run on the system without carrying passengers to or from the five new stations. However, the “simulation” trains will carry passengers between East Falls Church and Largo Town Center.  As a result of Silver Line service, riders at stations from East Falls Church to Court House will see trains arrive more frequently at all times, and riders from Rosslyn to Stadium-Armory will notice more frequent service outside rush hours. On the Blue Line, trains will operate every 12 minutes at all times of the day, and during rush hours, trains at Vienna, Dunn Loring and West Falls Church, will arrive and depart every six minutes.