Metro says farewell to 2000-series fleet after 40 years of service

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said it is bidding adieu to some of its oldest trains after 40 years of service.

Passengers, that means you can say goodbye (and, perhaps, breathe a sigh of relief) to the era of carpeting in train cars when Metro officially retires its 2000-series trains on Friday, May 10.

Since the trains’ introduction in 1983, WMATA said they have traveled nearly 200 million miles and carried more than 775 million passengers.

The first 2000-series train arrived from Indiana in April 1983. (Courtesy of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority)

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“These 76 train cars helped move millions of people across the Capital region for decades and we thank them for their faithful service over the years,” stated Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “We recognize the rich history of these cars and they have certainly earned this well-deserved retirement. However, this will give riders a better experience and make way for the Fleet of the Future.”

Customers take a trip in 1998 on a 2000-series train. (Courtesy of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority)

Metro explained that the 2000-series trains are past their useful lifespan and experience issues nearly four times as often as WMATA’s newer 7000-series trains.

In the coming months, WMATA said the cars will be decommissioned and crews will remove safety-sensitive parts and hazardous materials. Two of the cars will be saved for preservation as part of Metro’s history.

Metro anticipates phasing out the 3000-series trains starting in 2027, while introducing the first of at least 256 new 8000-series “Fleet of the Future” train cars.

Metro retired the 1000-series trains in 2016 and 2017, the 4000-series in 2017 and the 5000-series in 2018 and 2019.

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