Two retired MARTA rail subway cars are now home to an array of marine life as part of the Department of Natural Resources’ Reef Project.
If you have ever wondered what happens to old, decommissioned rolling stock, not all them end up rusting away in a trains’ graveyard. Occasionally, these old rail cars are given a new lease of life and a new purpose.
A couple of years ago, two retired 72-foot MARTA rail subway cars were submerged in 60 feet of water 23 nautical miles east of Ossabaw Island, off the coast of Georgia.
AnsaldoBreda railcars 601 and 602 were retired in July 2022 after several years of service, getting passengers from A to B on Metro Atlanta, the transit system in the capital of the country’s eighth largest state. Not long after they made their final journey, they were donated to the Department of Natural Resources for their Reef Restoration Program.
The cars were gutted and stripped of any hazardous or toxic material in order to be approved for reefing by the US Coast Guard. They now form part of Georgia’s marine artificial reefs, providing a safe, artificial habitat for fish to spawn and find refuge. Over time, they will also develop into reef habitats with corals, sponges, and other encrusting organisms forming on the railcar chassis.
Train carriages that used to be full of people, are now under the ocean…
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Reef project sunk two carriages 65 feet underwater in an effort to help marine wildlife pic.twitter.com/WjYbf4VMf1
“The artificial reef is looking great, and we are encouraged by the amount of coral growth and marine wildlife activity,” Cameron Brinton, a marine biologist with DNR’s Coastal Resources Division said. “You’ll notice one of the railcar roofs has collapsed, which is typical, and we’ll see more changes to the railcars over time as they become part of the essential marine habitat for sea creatures, including popular sport fish and endangered sea turtles.”
And the old Marta Rail wagons are not the only objects developing coral reef ecosystems on the seabed in Artificial Reef L which stretches two-by-two square miles. There is also an US Army M-60 tank, old tugboats and barges.
Hidden oases lie just off Georgia’s coast 🌊 At @GraysReefNMS, NOAA scientists are using drop cameras to explore seafloor habitats—revealing vibrant communities of sponges, fish & corals.
🔗https://t.co/o79Vn95N9r#MarineScience #OceanExploration pic.twitter.com/CGynTe1FR8
Another six decommissioned Marta cars are set to join units 601 and 602 in the not too distant future, as Metro Atlanta upgrades its fleet with the new CQ400 railcars.
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