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Step aboard the little-known subway line below Capitol Hill that lawmakers use to get around

Joe Perticone   

Step aboard the little-known subway line below Capitol Hill that lawmakers use to get around
Politics1 min read

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 27: Reporters lean into a subway car while asking Sen. John Thune (R-SD) (R) questions following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon in the U.S. Capitol November 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. Republican senators were joined by Vice President Mike Pence and White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.)

  • The United States Senate has an underground tunnel for lawmakers to quickly get to votes from the adjacent office buildings.
  • There are two train lines connecting three Senate office buildings to the US Capitol building, and one line on the House side.
  • The train's drop-off location is where some of the biggest on-the-record conversations happen between senators and the press.

The United States Senate has its own subway system to quickly transport lawmakers to and from votes without having to cross multiple checkpoints or brave the sometimes harsh weather above ground in Washington.

The trains from the Russell Senate office building and the Rayburn House office building each have conductors, while the monorail that links the Dirksen and Hart Senate office buildings run on an automatic system.

While mostly frequented by lawmakers, the trains are for anyone to ride as long as they are cleared to enter the Capitol.

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