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The Metro of TomorrowAccording to Metro, the first of a new generation of Metrorail cars rolled out of the Greenbelt station on August 23, 2001 on their way towards the Branch Avenue station, on the Green Line. These new cars are the Series 5000 cars, made by Construcciones y Auxiliar Ferrocarriles, S.A. (CAF), of Spain. The design of the new Series 5000 cars is based on the cars previously made by Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie (Breda), and then CAF improved on the Breda cars' design with new colors, new features, and such. The changes to the trains are really amazing, bringing the trains from the 1970's and 1980's when the original Rohr and Breda cars were manufactured, into the 21st century, with a sleek, modern new look. And a new door chime to top it off. So let's make a side-by-side comparison of the older Metro trains originally manufactured by Rohr and Breda with these "newfangled" CAF Series 5000 cars...
On the front of the trains, the colored sign in the front window is gone (there being no need for it anymore), and the lighted sign above the window is brighter, easier to read, and displays the color prominently on each side.
On the old Breda trains, the carpet is orange, the walls are cream-colored, the handles on top of the seats are brown rubber, and the seats themselves are two different shades of orange. On the new Series 5000 trains, the carpet is a burgundy color, the walls are white, the handles on top of the seats are brushed metal, and the seats themselves are burgundy and blue-gray.
The emergency door release handle is the same handle common to all the Breda trains. The difference is that the label on the cover is palette-swapped, the window on the release cover is larger, and the cover is white to match its surroundings. Otherwise, remember - only use it in life-threatening situations.
In looking over the new cars against the old ones, you can tell that the character of the Metro hasn't changed, but with these new Series 5000 cars, sports an updated, more modern face.
In the front of the train, not a whole lot has changed. The colors are different, but the biggest change is above the door, where an LED indicator sign is in the place that otherwise would have contained the rules (which actually got moved to the extreme left of the same area), and also the place where, on the Breda cars, the builder's plate was located.
The new interior LED sign serves three functions. When the train begins traveling to a station, the sign shows the name of the next station, and if applicable, which platform. In this case, the train is headed towards L'Enfant Plaza, on the upper level. When getting close to the station, the display changes to three arrows pointing to the side of the train where the doors will open at the station. In this case, the doors will open on the left (we're facing the back of the train). And then while the doors are open, the display shows us what line it is, in this case Green.
It should be noted, though, that this station-name capability isn't completely functional across the board yet. If it isn't operating correctly, the display simply shows the line color.
On the doors, the classic sign telling you not to lean on the doors has changed slightly. Door is now singular, rather than plural. Otherwise, the speaker above the door, characteristic of the Breda trains, was carried over to the Series 5000 cars. The new trains, however have clearer sound, with the Metro lady and chime sounding better than they've ever sounded before with a new door announcement.
The priority seating for the elderly and those with disabilities is still there, and looking better than ever. Note, though, that the CAF cars take the Breda cars' style of only having this side-facing seating next to the center doors, and extra standing room by the end doors in lieu of side-facing seats. Also note my umbrella in the right photo, which, after doing so well in hanging onto it for most of the day, I lost later on in the day, forgetting it in an elevator at Pentagon City Mall.
The windows on the new trains have not changed in the least, which is a good thing - we still can see the region unfold before us in those areas where the tracks are above ground through those large picture windows.
Now look in the back of this picture - notice the yellow seat? Believe it or not, this was a compromise on interiors. Some wanted the original interiors as seen on the older Rohr and Breda trains to be carried over to the CAF trains. Others wanted the new interior. The new-interior supporters won overall, but included the sand-colored seats at the ends of the cars as a compromise move.
Looking through the glass on the back of the cab and through the front windows affords us a unique view of the trip towards Branch Avenue that most passengers don't get to see.
Arriving at the Branch Avenue station, we wish the new train a fond adieu. Note the "Green" sign on the front of the car. That same day, I also traveled some distance on the Blue Line. At this particular point in time, the Blue Line was in the process of being extended from Addison Road, the terminal at the time this photo set was made, to Morgan Boulevard, to the new terminal, Largo Town Center. We visited Addison Road, to briefly view the end of the Blue Line, and the construction beyond.
This is Addison Road, the final station on the Blue Line. Please make sure to take all personal items with you when you leave the train, and we thank you for riding Metro. Have a safe and pleasant day.
The literal end of the Blue Line is right here. Beyond this, equipment can be seen preparing for the tracks to be extended three miles further east out to Largo. |
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