WMATA 7000-Series Vehicle Procurement

Challenges

The Metrorail Silver Line Phase I expansion through Tysons Corner to Reston, VA, and the Phase II expansion to Washington Dulles International Airport required the acquisition of new vehicles because many of the earlier series railcars had been in revenue service for more than forty years.
The older railcar fleet would be incompatible with the technology and safety advances of the new 7000-series cars, dictating that long-standing interoperability standards be redeveloped as part of the procurement.
Procuring new railcars would introduce new technologies and pose new challenges to WMATA engineering, transit operations, and maintenance staff.

Hatch LTK provided technical expertise from conception through revenue service deployment, continuing to ongoing maintenance and planned overhauls.
Hatch LTK employed a unique Design Verification Review (DVR) process that incorporated parallel manufacturing and testing activities and spanned traditional design review phases. That resulted in simultaneous and continuous design evolution that led to an improved and more flexible design implementation process.

The 7000-series cars are the most technologically advanced ever operated at Metrorail with new design innovations that include an ethernet network, roof-mounted HVAC units, advanced maintenance diagnostics, linear door operators, and a customer-friendly passenger information system.
The 7000-series cars feature wider aisles, flat panel information monitors, digital sign boards announcing upcoming stops, improved lighting, and safety improvements.
The final design of the 7000-series railcars reflects comprehensive input from employees, customers, and rider advocates.

WMATA accepted delivery of the final of the 748 7000-series railcar in February 2020
The 7000-series cars make up about 60% of WMATA’s fleet
WMATA 7000-series railcars move 850,000-plus passengers per day