Metro is currently building a two-mile long test track alongside the Green Line, between College Park and Greenbelt. It’s for commissioning the new cars that are joining Metro’s fleet.

The test track, as seen from a northbound Metro train. It’s the one closest to the white wall. Photo by the author.

In addition to the test track, Metro is building a commissioning building in the nearby Greenbelt Yard. The pair of projects will cost $60 million.

Metro’s getting lots of new cars and needs a faster way to test them

Metro’s gotten by so far without a test track. Why build one now?

Over the next four years, Metro will be receiving 748 new 7000 series railcars from Kawasaki. Each of these cars needs to be commissioned, which means testing them to make sure they’re fit to provide service, and that takes time and space.

In the past, for the required work inspecting and testing components, Metro used existing yard space. That takes away space from maintaining and inspecting the existing fleet, so the agency is constructing a large building with several railcar bays at Greenbelt Yard exclusively to test newly arrived cars.

The cars also need to be run at top speed and under automatic train operation to see how they work in service. In the past, Metro mainly used the stretch of track between College Park and Greenbelt because it’s relatively flat and straight.

But doing so required single-tracking during those periods, which Metro did between rush hours in every day and also in the evenings.

That’s disruptive to Green Line riders, that’s not the only reason Metro wants to have a test track.

With single-tracking, there are only a few hours each day available for testing. With those parameters, Metro would only be able to process eight new cars per month. The 7000 series delivery schedule, meanwhile, calls for having 12-14 cars arrive each month.

With the test track, Metro will be able to process 16-20 cars per month, which should speed acceptance of the new state-of-the-art cars. Currently, there are four new trains in service (32 cars) and another 20 cars have been delivered but aren’t yet commissioned.

Since the test track and commissioning facility aren’t done, WMATA has been single-tracking between Greenbelt and College Park and between Shady Grove and Twinbrook to test the cars it has now. But that will all move to the new facility when it’s finished.

The test track is close to ready

The test track and commissioning facility are nearing completion.

Last week, contractors started installing insulators (the non-conducting supports for the third rail) and third rail along the track. Since the end of July, workers have also installed track circuits and marker coils, which are part of the signalling system.

The permanent perimeter fence is also going in. There’s not much work left now.

Metro did not respond to requests for comment on when they expect the track to be completed and in service.

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Tagged: metro, transit, wmata

Matt Johnson has lived in the Washington area since 2007. He has a Master’s in Planning from the University of Maryland and a BS in Public Policy from Georgia Tech. He lives in Dupont Circle. He’s a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and is an employee of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. His views are his own and do not represent those of his employer.