The Purple Line will start running in Riverdale Park by the end of 2022, several months before its official opening, making it the first segment to run in the entire line.

A segment of the light rail line running from New Carrollton to Riverdale Road will go into operation once it is completed, even as the tracks running west to Silver Spring are delayed. And the Riverdale Park-Kenilworth station will be one of only three places in the line where the tracks are elevated.

The highest ridership for the transit line is expected to be between Bethesda and Silver Spring, but the Prince George’s County segment will be a crucial part for connecting to other local transit systems.

The New Carrollton station is on the Orange Line, while the College Park station is on the Green Line, allowing some riders to transfer between the two on the Purple Line.

New Carrollton is also home to an Amtrak station, meaning residents of the Route 1 corridor will be able to take the Purple Line, then transfer to a train headed to the the Baltimore airport or even New York City.

The first phase to open will go at least to Riverdale Road but could go even farther toward the Discovery District and the University of Maryland campus, depending on how hard it is for trains to turn around.

The Prince George’s segment is opening first largely because the county put forward $20 million more in funding in order to secure the rail yard and command center.