Metro’s oldest railcars have become so worn, their aluminum floors are cracking.
The floors near the doors on 21 railcars have cracked under the weight of 32 years worth of rush-hour travelers.
Metro has 290 of the old 1000-seriesrailcars, which are deployed throughout the system every day.
Metro Assistant General Manager Gerald Francis said the cracks pose no immediate safety risk to riders.
When the cracks appear, said Metro’s railcar chief, Dave Kubicek, the cars are pulled from service and the aluminum is welded back together.
“These types of issues are common due to the life cycle and material makeup of the railcars’ design and materials,” Kubicek said. “Stress cracks due to age and environment are just part of the equipment makeup.”
The agency is considering installing steel reinforcements under the floors to prevent the problem, he said.
“It’s a lot more exhaustive to fix once it’s already cracked,” Kubicek said. “We’ll look at the trends and, instead of just waiting for it to happen, we’ll prevent it.”
The old railcars, which also have brake problems, are not due to be replaced until the agency receives its new 7000-series cars. That model is still in the design phase and is expected to begin filtering into the system in five years.
Pulling the oldest cars from service is not a viable option; Metro needs all of its railcars to accommodate soaring ridership, officials have said.
The old cars are one of several elements that need replacing or overhauling as the cash-strapped transit system nears the end of the 30- to 40-year life cycle on some of its equipment.
Metro officials and local and state politicians are lobbying the federal government for money for the transit system, which is the only major transit system in the country without a dedicated source of funding.
