This weekend, Metro is wrapping up track work that ties the new Potomac Yard station into the rail system. That means rail service will return to the six stations south of National Airport that have been closed for months.

But riders at Huntington and Eisenhower Avenue may be surprised to find Blue Line trains servicing their station instead of the usual Yellow Line. That’s because the entire Yellow Line is still closed through May as Metro repairs the bridge over the Potomac River and the tunnel that connects to L’Enfant Plaza.

The new service, known as “Blue Line Plus” will run between Franconia Springfield and Downtown Largo AND Huntington (usually Yellow Line’s terminus) to New Carrollton (which is also the Orange Line terminus). It starts Sunday and runs through sometime next May. Blue line trains will run every 15 minutes from the end of the lines and combine on the trunk lines for trains every eight minutes or more in certain areas.

Trains will run through the new Potomac Yard station, but it won’t be open for another few months — sometime in 2023 — as crews finish retaining walls, pave an access road, and install faregates, fare machines, and more.

“Watching the test trains go through the station reminds us we are nearing the finish line of this large and significant capital project that will serve the region for decades to come,” General Manager Randy Clarke said in a statement. “We thank our customers and partners for their patience as the team ensures we provide the safest and best experience for this beautiful station.”

Meanwhile, a number of free rush hour-only shuttles will still run from Virginia to D.C. as train alternatives during rush hour.

It may be a more direct and fast option than riding the Blue Line, which is about 15 minutes slower than the usual Yellow Line because it goes to Rosslyn and numerous stops in D.C. before getting to L’Enfant Plaza.

• VA-DC Shuttle 1: Crystal City-L’Enfant (6:20 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. – 8:10 p.m.); service between Crystal City, Pentagon City, Smithsonian, and L’Enfant Plaza stations every 12 minutes; Shuttle does not stop at Pentagon Station
• VA-DC Shuttle 2: Pentagon-Archives (6:20 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.); service between Pentagon, Smithsonian, and Archives stations every 12 minutes
• VA-DC Shuttle 3: Mt. Vernon-Potomac Park (former 11Y Route) (5 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. and 3:10 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.); service between Mt. Vernon, Alexandria, and Potomac Park every 20 minutes; peak direction service only