Fairfax County local news
While regional leaders continue to discuss a path forward for funding transit, Metro is turning to the public for help on deciding a look for its newest trains.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) unveiled three options today (Monday) for the exterior design of its incoming 8000-series rail fleet, which is expected to arrive next year.
A survey allowing riders to vote on their preferred option is now open until 11:59 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 22). The winner will be announced next week, WMATA says.
“Metro is synonymous with the DMV, and our customers take pride in the special elements that make our system unique – from the classic architecture found in our stations to the iconic look of our fleet vehicles,” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said in a press release. “Who better than our loyal customers to choose the design that will adorn the trains carrying our region into the future?”
Harkening back to Metro’s older white-and-brown logo, as opposed to the white-on-silver logo on the newer but problematic 7000-series cars, the three designs all follow roughly the same concept, with an “M” of varying sizes and colors intersecting with a rail car window.
Metro says the exterior redesign is part of an ongoing push to update its branding:
The designs are part of a broader branding refresh that includes refined Metro logos and illustrations that reflect our heritage. With this final step in the process, customers will see a revamped color scheme in a warm palette that embraces modern design principles and pays homage to the standards set by Metro’s founding designers.
Intended to replace the oldest cars in the transit system, which dated back to the early 1980s, the 8000-series trains will feature improved ventilation, energy-efficient heated flooring, open passageways between cars, larger digital display screens, and new seating layouts with dedicated spaces for wheelchairs, bicycles, strollers and luggage, according to WMATA’s website.
Metro awarded a $2.2 billion contract in March 2021 to the Japanese company Hitachi Rail for 256 new railcars, though options in the agreement could expand the order to up to 800 cars. The trains are being built at a factory in Hagerstown, Maryland.
After offering a sneak peek of the 8000-series cars with a display on the National Mall in D.C. last year, WMATA anticipates a pilot car arriving in 2026, with the full fleet becoming ready for passenger service the following year.
Metro’s oldest operating cars — the 2000 series — were officially retired in May 2024. The 3000 series is scheduled to follow suit once the new trains become available in 2027.
Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.

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