[6] WMATA used 2006 Orion VII CNG (07.501) suburbans numbered 2701–2730 based out of Four Mile Run Division to operate the route.

The 5A originally operated under the “North Reston Express Line” in the 1970s before being discontinued in the 1990s being replaced by a combination of Fairfax Connector routes.

The original $1.10 one-way fare was seen as a bargain compared with other transportation modes in the area, including Shenandoah Valley Commuter Bus.

In 2010, WMATA started a public planning forum, to create the Silver Line route to run to Dulles Airport.

[16] Metro later re-evaluated the timetable for the second phase's launch and anticipates it would be ready for service on April 1, 2021, after the agency determines a budget for the 2020–2021 fiscal year (and having taken the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic).