 Bus, between 1910 and 1926 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Locale | Washington, D.C., and its Maryland suburbs |
| Dates of operation | August 29, 1892–December 1, 1933 |
| Predecessor | Washington and Great Falls Electric Railway Company |
| Successor | Capital Transit Company |
| Technical | |
| Length | 60.19 miles (96.87 km) (1918) |
The Washington Railway and Electric Company (WRECo) was the larger of the two major streetcar companies in Washington, D.C., and its Maryland suburbs in the early decades of the 20th century.
Founded as the Washington and Great Falls Electric Railway Company in 1892, the company was appointed by act of Congress in 1900 to acquire several other streetcar companies that had been swept into a failed conglomerate.[1] Consequent acquisitions transformed the company into the region's largest transit operator. Renamed Washington Railway and Electric Company in 1902, it controlled lines from Anacostia in Southeast D.C. past the White House and out to various Maryland cities and towns, including Rockville and Cabin John to the northwest and Hyattsville and Laurel to the northeast.
The WRECo operated until 1933, when it was merged with its main competitor, the Capital Traction Company, to form the Capital Transit Company.
- ^ "Laws relating to street-railway franchises in the District of Columbia. (Including street-railway laws enacted during the First session of the Fifty-fourth ..." HathiTrust. Commissioners of the District of Columbia. July 29, 1892. hdl:2027/nyp.33433006608727. Archived from the original on 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2023-08-16.