Metro to begin retiring least reliable 4000-series railcars next week

Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld today announced that retirement of the system’s least-reliable rail cars – the 4000-series – will begin next week.

The 4000-series rail cars are by far Metro’s least reliable, traveling an average of only 27,259 miles between delays. By contrast, the best performing cars, the 6000-series, are nearly four times more reliable, traveling more than 103,000 miles between delays.

Metro has been in the process of retiring its oldest railcars, the 1000-series, since February 2016, as new 7000-railcars arrive. More than half of the 1000-series fleet has been retired to date. 

Starting next week, both 1000- and 4000-series cars will be retired concurrently.

Under the “Back2Good” program, Wiedefeld has committed to having all 1000- and 4000-series cars out of passenger service by the end of this year to drive down delays experienced by customers. Railcar mechanical issues accounted for nearly two-thirds of delays in 2016.

This morning, customers on the Orange, Silver and Blue lines experienced lengthy delays due to a disabled train with a brake problem outside of Foggy Bottom Station. The train’s consist included both 1000- and 4000-series cars. 

The first retired 4000-series car is scheduled to be moved off Metro property on Wednesday, February 15. Retired cars are transported by trailer to Baltimore where they are scrapped.