WMATA 8000 Series Rail Cars

Metro is now looking at open gangways on the 8Ks. Interesting

Metro is exploring changes to the design of its newest series of rail cars, saying the moves would allow for more capacity while giving passengers flexibility to move between cars and avoid crowding.

The shift would create open gangways in the form of enclosed vestibules between rail cars that passengers could walk through — similar to the format passenger trains such as Amtrak have used for decades — rather than keeping cars separated. The design change is being considered for Metro’s next generation of rail cars, the 8000 series, which will be assembled by Hitachi Rail at a plant near Hagerstown, Md., starting next year.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transpor ... 313d08a5d6

Rode open gangway subways in South America. Really could pack in the passengers. Fun to be in first car and look all way to back on straightway as I could see over almost all passenger's heads.

As they should.

At least on Metro, I do appreciate the ability to exit a car and go to the next one if there are...fools.... in one car. So, this would be a loss.

JDC wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:58 pm At least on Metro, I do appreciate the ability to exit a car and go to the next one if there are...fools.... in one car. So, this would be a loss.

How would the is be a loss? Currently you can only exit when a train is stopped at a station with the doors open. With a gangway, you could walk from car to car as the train is moving and not wait until it is at a station stop

That is true. But, the fools can also roam the entire train while it's moving.

JDC wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:49 pm That is true. But, the fools can also roam the entire train while it's moving.

People move between cars now so I don't see that as much of a delta.

However there is someone that closed cars win at, which is smell. Vaping by people while I'm in the car with them is insane but happens. A contained car means containing those toxic chemicals if the police will not enforce the rules.

Sound is also dampened by having a door. I'd be fine with train doors that let you move car to car like intercity trains have. I'm also okay with gangway married pairs or even maybe quads, but 8 cars open I think is a bad idea. Personally I'd rather see the ability to run 6 or 8 car trains not only 8 cars like the 7ks. Seems like off peak that can buy you some wear and tear while maintaining headways. Really 4 car trains at good headways are better and would more than cover demand at some times of day, but I cannot remember the last 4 car train I have seen.

I'd never seen someone vaping yet, but last week on my commute home someone was smoking a blunt on a Green line train heading into DC.

I have seen people smoke on the platforms (open air) blunts but not in enclosed stations or train cars. Only vaping many times in those places. I normally say something to anyone doing that in and enclosed space. Outside I just walk to the other side and don't yell at them, though it is still illegal. I wish the police did something, I just want a clean system with people obeying the rules.

Metro is showing off potential features for the 8Ks

https://twitter.com/AdamTuss/status/1660704252841304072

YOLO wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 11:41 am Metro is showing off potential features for the 8Ks

https://twitter.com/AdamTuss/status/1660704252841304072

https://wjla.com/news/local/metro-new-t ... eens-wmata#

WASHINGTON (7News) — On Monday Metro released the first-ever detailed images of what the transit agency wants the future 8000 series railcars to look like. These new trains are set to hit the rails in the next few years.

Metro originally started designing the concept last year but has since made updates to incorporate feedback from customers, helping improve safety, reliability, and the overall customer experience, the company explained.

They should already have started building them last year as we need them next year because the 2000/3000 series are too old and need to be retired by 2024. These old cars sometimes have electrical problems, so we can't keep using them for a few more years. This morning I saw a dark 3000 series green line train at L'Enfant (no inside lights on),

A completely dark train is usually (in my experience) a non-revenue move through the system.

davinp
Metro is exploring changes to the design of its newest series of rail cars, saying the moves would allow for more capacity while giving passengers flexibility to move between cars and avoid crowding.

The shift would create open gangways in the form of enclosed vestibules between rail cars that passengers could walk through — similar to the format passenger trains such as Amtrak have used for decades — rather than keeping cars separated. The design change is being considered for Metro’s next generation of rail cars, the 8000 series, which will be assembled by Hitachi Rail at a plant near Hagerstown, Md., starting next year.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transpor ... 313d08a5d6

Something overlooked during all the hoopla about the 8k cars being open gangways. WMATA is going back to monocoque aluminum car bodies. Found this document at wmata.com, Fleet of the Future Design Review (6.1 MB PDF file) dated 06 16 2023.