New bus route from Huntington Metro to National Harbor to start Sunday

A new Metrobus route from the Huntington Metro station to National Harbor will begin service on Sunday, WMATA announced Thursday.

The NH2 Metrobus service is the first route to directly link National Harbor and Virginia, and the first to cross the Wilson Bridge in more than a decade. The NH2 will start at the north entrance of the Huntington station, stop at the King Street-Old Town station and then cross the bridge to National Harbor. The bus will run every 30 minutes from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week.

“Starting Sunday, Metro riders will have direct trans-Potomac service between Virginia and National Harbor without having to travel through D.C.,” Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said in a WMATA news release. “The NH2 makes it easier for the many visitors to National Harbor and Alexandria to enjoy dining, shopping and entertainment while also providing a convenient option for employees to get to and from work.”

The NH2 was approved earlier this year as a nine-month pilot program. It begins service roughly two months before the MGM Grand Casino opens in December. If the WMATA board adopts the NH2 permanently, it could be implemented in the 2018 budget, Metro said.

A ceremony marking the occasion was held Thursday and attended by officials from Virginia and Maryland, including Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova.

“This new service will provide a long-awaited transit connection between areas in Northern Virginia and National Harbor,” Bulova said in the news release. “The NH2 buses will make it easier for residents, employees and visitors to get to and from popular destinations in the region, offering more opportunities for work and play across jurisdictional borders.”

Additional info: NH2 route and timetables