WMATA "Fleet of the Future" exhibit on the National Mall

For years I've argued WMATA needs to rebuild the regional consensus on transit.  It's only more of a need given how WFH has cut transit ridership in half.

-- St. Louis regional transit planning process as a model for what needs to be done in the DC Metropolitan region," 2009
-- "WMATA 40th anniversary in 2016 as an opportunity for assessment," 2014
--"What it will take to get WMATA out of crisis continued and 2016's 40th anniversary of WMATA as an opportunity to rebuild," 2015

From March 20 to April 3, you can see a replica of the 8000 Series rail cars at the “Fleet of the Future Expo” at the National Mall in D.C. 

“We took best practices from all over the world — open gangways, more space, better digital screens for real-time information, enhanced video systems to improve safety, a more sustainable aluminum shell, and eye-catching design — and put them in this train,” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said in a statement. 

While not a full-sized replica, the mock-up lets you experience what it would be like to ride the new train. The 8000 series will feature the transit agency’s “first open passageway design for moving between two cars,” Metro said in a news release. Eight-car trains will be made up of four sets of two-car pairs, and six-car trains will be made up of three sets of two-car pairs. There will also be seating along the walls, which Metro said will allow for more standing room for passengers and more space for people who use mobility devices. The new rail cars also boast flexible spaces for bikes, strollers and luggage, as well as larger digital information screens and heated floors, Metro said. 

A prototype of the 1000-series Metro train on display on the White House Lawn in the 1960s. (Courtesy Metro)

The exhibit is not the first time riders got the chance to see new Metro trains before they went into service. In 1968, Metro built and displayed prototypes at the White House Lawn, the National Mall, Prince George’s Plaza and L’Enfant Plaza.