Unsuck DC Metro: Early Details on Metro's New Cars

Metro is ongoing to lay tactics for its after that age group of railcars " the 7000 series " and an close to the beginning appraisal recreation planners appear to be receiving a number of key belongings right.

Metro has person's name investment center groups, and it recently briefed the WMATA Riders Advisory Council on tactics for the new cars. According to Metro officials, the transit agency tactics to transport 64 of the new cars eager on service by the end of 2013, by means of an first alternative for one more 64, followed by an alternative for 300 additional to put back the primary cars in the fleet, the 1000 series. After that, present might be still more, to get bigger the fleet.

Heres a rundown on come again? contain supposed concerning skin significant to riders:

Seats: First off, theyll be transverse, similar to now, rather supposed bench-style, the distance end to end of the sides. But the the majority excellent news: Not cloth! (Some determination recall new information reports on the disgusting crud so as to inhabits cloth seats.) The final plan isnt set yet, officials said. The objective is a polyurethane fabric so as to resembles leather, and construct counting contain a additional œfoamy sense as,at the same time as too not receiving as warm. If so as to strength prove to be possible, the fallback is vinyl, similar to today.

Flooring: Carpeting is gone. Replacing it determination be a type of industrial score plastic/vinyl attract œresilient flooring, construct officials say is base to uphold and a lot cleaner.

Noise: Even with no carpet to buffer sound, present determination be no better noise in,within the car at what time trains hit senior speeds.

No audio ads: This is huge information for a lot of folks who feared existence form a captive audience. The new cars determination contain video screens, and thus maybe video advertisements. But contain determination contain no audio capability, so talking ads arent leaving to happen.

Color scheme: So far, present are two concepts. œBusiness Elegance is bluish, construct Metro officials say creates an illusion of existence form a better space. This system has a dark, blue-speckled ground by means of pallid walls, and otherwise is blue. œSubtle Signature is additional a mix of gray and blue tones. It has a dark, red-speckled ground by means of pallid walls, and otherwise is grayish-blue. There determination be no brown or yellow.

Announcements: Will be recorded.

Air conditioning: Metros drama leader engineer slowly it determination be better. The big issue now is defeat of Freon coolant from side to side leakage in lines, he said. The new cars determination contain sealed lines and be roof-mounted, and be hypothetical to be additional reliable.

Other: Lots of handholds. More stanchions to grab onto the distance end to end of the rows of seats. No distinct arm-rests are planned. There is to be a V-shaped split recognized by two adjoining seatbacks to delineate the room for persons who desire space.

Needs changing: One plan Metro divide off has half-height screens at the doors. But the screens are transparent. A Metro bureaucrat supposed essential since populace similar to to seem downward from side to side the distance end to end of the car, but so as to earth similar to a non-issue to me. More importantly, too a great deal stuff stay squished up after that to the present screens, decrease as of a seated riders face. One can merely picture the visual if the monitor is transparent. If you be acquainted with come again? I mean.

(C.H. Schmitt is a associate of the Riders Advisory Council.)