Metro officially started retiring its 2000-series train on Friday after more than 40 years on the tracks.
The 2000-series trains were first introduced in 1983 and had issues close to four times more often than the 7000-series trains, Metro said in a news release.
“These 76 train cars helped move millions of people across the Capital region for decades and we thank them for their faithful service over the years,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke in the release. “We recognize the rich history of these cars and they have certainly earned this well-deserved retirement. However, this will give riders a better experience and make way for the Fleet of the Future.”
The trains were manufactured by Breda in Italy, assembled in Beech Grove, Indiana, and ran nearly 200 million miles and carried more than 775 million passengers.
When there were issues with the other fleets, Metro would take the 2000-series out of storage and run them while addressing other issues.
Where will the historic trains go?
Metro said that two of the 76 train cars will be saved for preservation and two others will be used as part of Metro’s “money train” that collects cash from fare machines around the system.
