🇺🇸 America’s Newest Subway Unveiled | Fleet of the Future - 1982 ➡️ 2027

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Subscribe for a cookie :)

[@memeigt]

will it be chocolate chip? 😄

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Yes! Since that is the best flavor 😋

[@S-CB-SL-Animations]

I'm going there again with my friends!

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Have a great trip there! It’s a really cool exhibit

[@modelrollercoasters]

President Lyndon B. Johnson died January 22, 1973. He did however look at a future metro car in 1968 on the White House lawn, and I do believe that is the correct picture of him doing so. Nice video.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

You are correct! Thanks for the correction :) I’ll update that in the caption for future viewers, appreciate the comment 🧠🙂

[@hirampriggott1689]

I remember growing up in the DC area in the late1970s as a kid, the the Metro was the most futuristic thing I ever saw. Even the stations were cool!

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Yes - these stations have a timeless look that still look futuristic today! Albeit a bit more dirty than when they first opened ;)

[@mossbrg5]

The piece of aluminum you asked about is an example of extruded aluminum body panel used in the carshell. The carshells will be mostly aluminum extrusions welded together.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Thanks for the comment and the answer! I’ll pin your comment for other viewers to see :) I would not have known that!

[@confusedgaming7574]

I wish they would add wider doors

[@SoloTravelPOV]

I agree! Especially the doors designed for bikes and wheelchair entries

[@aqua2poweros699]

Yeah. Should have taken some notes from the R211 from NYC

[@Izon14n]

@@aqua2poweros699 The subway car itself kinda looks like the R211

[@airbus7373]

They’re already pretty wide, but moving to 4 doors per car would be a nice change

[@airbus7373]

I will most certainly appreciate the Wifi as a local when I use my laptop on the Metro. It will make it a lot easier for what I’m writing. The metal piece you see there is the material the 8000 series will be made out of; it will be made out of Aluminum, making it lighter than the 7000 series. It should also make it quieter and reduce the vibrations in the station, since you can definitely feel it when a 7000 series train enters a station as opposed to an older train. Nice video

[@SoloTravelPOV]

That’s true! Longer commutes can use wifi. Thanks for the info and for watching!!

[@dantem4119]

The Rohr cars have such a sleek futuristic look still. The brown is so iconic, wish they kept it on the front but ah well, too 70s I guess lol

[@SoloTravelPOV]

I agree the brown is a perfect color! Hopefully it still remains in the brand guidelines for Metro 🤎

[@146_ChinoMexicano]

In 3 years, this will be on service. Even though I'm from New York 🗽

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Yes - Three years hopefully comes sooner! 😉

[@louiszhang3050]

I like that they've added some more colour into the trains. I felt that all American metro trains have felt a little too sterile in the past. I hope they keep the cherry blossom decals on the trains. I think they did a wonderful job with the trains, just wish they were fully walkthrough instead of only in married pairs.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Yes they look great! I agree it would have been nice to have a full walkthrough. Maybe in a far future iteration, if it could technically work 🤞🤞

[@philmillerDO]

And I hope it has the same sound when it leaves the station

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Me too! Plus I hope the brakes are a bit quieter 🤫🤫

[@CaradhrasAiguo49]

hope the heated floor doesn't exclude the recycling of air with the outside. Which is something the 7000-series tend to do well. That ventilation is helpful for preventing transmission of airborne viruses and what not

[@SoloTravelPOV]

That is a very good point and I agree! I think the public opinion on the heated floors on Metro will end up being very split

[@SandBoxJohn]

The floor area in these cars will be less then the 7k cars because of the equipment cabinets and the hardware fitted to the cars end to accommodate the 'open gangways' will occupy roughly 24 square feet of floor area, 12 square feet in each car of the married pair. Those equipment cabinets occupy an area that was previously occupied by seats. The 1, 2, 3 and 4k cars had more floor area in them then later car series because the hardware in the equipment cabinets was under the back to back seats.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Very interesting and well explained. Do you think there will be a car layout that will end up more preferred by riders? At the moment some people are split on the open gangways, and I don’t think they also realize there will be less room in the cars as well

[@SandBoxJohn]

@@SoloTravelPOVThat is a subjective question. Many user of the Washington Metro see it as an urban transit system like New York, London or Paris. Fact is, it is a hybrid system planed and laid out to serve both suburban commuters and urban users. That is why seating dominates the earlier series of cars compared to later series of cars. The seating versus standing issue boils down to size of the rolling stock fleet. The Washington Metro was designed to allow the operation of 8 car trains. WMATA has never dispatched a peaks service scheduled with all trains being 8 cars. Reducing seating increase passenger capacity at the expense of the comfort of the suburban commuter. In my opinion WMATA should not have gone in this direction but should have procured rolling stock in sufficient numbers to dispatched peaks service scheduled with all trains being 8 cars. The dirty little secrete, is there has been a rolling stock shortage senses the Yellow line opened to Huntington in 1983. Open gangways is a band aide solution to allow greater passenger capacity without increasing the overall size of the rolling stock fleet.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

@@SandBoxJohn Thanks for the detailed comment! Great opinion and more rolling stock is definitely a need for the fleet. Perhaps Metro was placed into this agreement before Randy Clarke took the reigns, so they are continuing with the development of the 8000 Series, even though that may not be the best decision overall

[@SandBoxJohn]

@@SoloTravelPOV The Board of the Directors over the last 40 plus years was more focused on building out the railroad then procuring rolling stock to keep up with the number segments and stations that were being opened. The 5 and 6k car procurement's were the smallest and took place well after most of the railroad had been been built out. The railroad was designed for the operation of 8 car trains. WMATA has never dispatched an all 8 car train peak service schedule. The railroad has had a rolling stock shortage sense the opening of the Huntington station in 1983. WMATA ended up redeploying the cars that they had to open the Huntington station. Had the 2k cars been on the property and cleared acceptance texting the Huntington station would have opened as the Blue line as originally planned year and a half earlier. The 7k procurement was originally planed to replace the 1k cars, mid life overhaul 4k car and increase the fleet size by 420 cars beyond what was need for the Silver line. The board later chose to scrap the 4 and 5k car and replace them one for one with 7k car resulting in an increase of the fleet size of 32 car beyond what was needed for the Silver line. If WMATA exercises all of the options in the 8k car procurement contract they will have correct the rolling stock shortage 30 years after original 101 mile system was fully built out.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

@@SandBoxJohn Amazing insights! I really appreciate the knowledge you have about Metro Fingers crossed that we will finally realize the correct rolling stock with the 8K procurement. Accomplishing a full dispatch of 8 cars would be an achievement in itself for the system, and a long time coming! That being said, the Board of Directors focusing on building out more of the railroad was appreciated. I have to imagine that Randy Clarke is eager to get the ball rolling on that too, and leave a positive legacy within WMATA

[@captainkeyboard1007]

The train is not operated by a conductor but the train operator who sits in the lead car. The train operator is available in case a problem occurs to the train and overriding the automatic train control system if necessary. I am looking forward to revisit Metrorail, since July 2002. I hope that no less than 900 railcars of the 8000 series will be made.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Thanks! Fingers crossed for more railcars 🤞🤞🤞

[@captainkeyboard1007]

@@SoloTravelPOV You are welcome. Thank you for typing to me.

[@captainkeyboard1007]

@@SoloTravelPOV You are welcome. I should be sitting by waiting for the next episode.✌

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Thank you!!

[@captainkeyboard1007]

@@SoloTravelPOV You are welcome. Thank you for typing to me. Happy Railroading!💙

[@MrJimheeren]

So an barely updated version of a train that already drives for 40 years. Not driverless, still heavy as a brick, a cramped driver position.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Yes that is how it looks currently! But new trains will hopefully have improved safety and longevity features not highlighted to the public Also, I believe these trains will have the ability to be used with Automatic Train Operation, which Metro is testing across the system now

[@inconspicuous7464]

They are capable of being driverless, just not allowed to do so.

[@nickolaslewis1560]

Those dots are guides for if the power goes out. That's my opinion.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

That could be it! Similar to an airplane

[@philmillerDO]

I hope it has the same times

[@FrancisChad-p1j]

Willis Tunnel

[@ScottWard-v1c]

Maxine Bridge

[@MansfieldSebastiane-k7z]

Reilly Forest

[@ShelleyLeo-d2k]

Wisoky Harbor

[@Rebelnightwolfe]

Too bad I won't be in D.C. until mid April so I'll miss this expo! Can't wait to see ride the new trains when they go into service!

[@SoloTravelPOV]

Ah! Hopefully this video gave you a good preview! When you visit in mid-April, they should still have the cherry blossom wrapped train in circulation, so I hope you can see that! You can track it at wmata.com/live and click “Special Edition” on the top right

[@JaxBrubaker-po8ld]

Will they replace the 6000 Series?

[@SoloTravelPOV]

These will only replace 2000 and 3000 series for now, with the option for WMATA to place a second order of the 8000 to replace the 6000

[@JaxBrubaker-po8ld]

6000 Series was released in 2006

[@asherjackson4504]

I think the mockup fails at its job by not actually, including things, such as Real screens and charging sockets. Isn't the whole point of a mock to see how things would work in the train and if there would be any issues? Also, Customer feedback is not possible when these things are not in the mockup.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

I think at this stage Metro doesn’t actually have the ability to change much of the design like heated floors, open gangways, etc The mockup is more of a gesture to give people a heads up on the design and features of future cars, that will be arriving regardless of feedback! So yes, I agree this isn’t really a mockup, but a preview :)

[@VeronaKozera-g5y]

Pietro Lodge

[@JSRKYT]

Nice thumbnail but 8000 series are actually supposed to be in service next year and they’re also replacing 2000 series, sadly😞

[@Tzartle_The_Kaiju]

Where’d ya get that info…they ain’t coming still 2027 my guy. Trust me..

[@oscardaone]

Not a fan of those bench seats. That’s my only complaint.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

I agree 👍👍

[@0dylan]

I wonder why gangways arent connected all the way down? Almost every metro in europe has them connected all the way through.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

I wasn’t able to 100% confirm the specifics of this, but some people commented that the double gangway layout of the train instead of a full connection was due to restrictions at the maintenance facility

[@ethanparker7900]

the turns in the rail yards are too sharp

[@SoloTravelPOV]

@@ethanparker7900 Thanks for clarifying that! Great note

[@ethanparker7900]

@@SoloTravelPOV not a problem. Not to toot my own horn or anything but as a lifelong alexandrian, I don't think there is anyone who knows the dc metro better than me so ya lol now worries at all.

[@SoloTravelPOV]

@@ethanparker7900 Haha I don't doubt it! I think someone or WMATA needs to create some type of official DC Metro quiz so folks can really show off their knowledge :)

[@CarolWilson-s5f]

Tillman Unions

[@philmillerDO]

I mean chimes

[@Gfynbcyiokbg8710]

Why do US trains always look dated and cheap?

[@SoloTravelPOV]

USA is doing their best to catch up with the rest of the world 🌎🌍🌏

[@Gfynbcyiokbg8710]

@@SoloTravelPOV They really aren't