Washington, D.C.’s Metro Board of Directors has voted to approve a plan to modernize the Metrorail Red Line fully and convert all its trains to driverless, automatic systems.
The board passed the fiscal 2027-2032 capital improvement program budget on Thursday, giving the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority the go-ahead to proceed with the $913 million “Red Line Modernization Project.”
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“Metro has led the country in ridership growth in recent years, and this additional service will help meet the growing demand on bus and rail,” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said in a statement. “We remain committed to running safe, frequent, and reliable service for our customers and planning for future rail modernization that would make Metro Rail even safer and more efficient.”
WMATA says it “intends to pursue federal funding” for the nearly $1 billion project and believes the project is eligible for Capital Investment Grants. The project would also add platform doors at each Red Line station, preventing people from falling on the tracks while waiting for a train.
A June 2009 collision between two automatic trains that killed nine people led to the Red Line switching back to manually operated systems for 15 years. The line then began using automatic train operation systems with a manual backup in December 2024, still requiring a driver to be present in case of emergency.
Now, WMATA will move to fully automatic, driverless trains on the Red Line, which spans 32 miles through Washington and Maryland. The line is the oldest in the system, opening in 1976 with automated trains.
WMATA has maintained that automated systems are more energy-efficient, timely, and smoother.
However, metro workers have voiced concerns that the fully automated system won’t work right, as there are frequent glitches and operators often have to step in to fix issues, WTOP reported.
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Workers have also voiced concerns about layoffs and job losses among operators as the train system moves toward full automation. The change is expected to be complete by 2032, with later changes to the Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow, and Green lines dependent on funding.
This past week, WMATA has been in the news frequently over crash incidents, as an overnight crash on the Metro Center rail line injured 11 people, a bus caught on fire in the 9th Street tunnel on Thursday, and two buses collided outside of the Pentagon on Friday. The Pentagon crash injured 23 people, including 10 who worked for the Department of War, according to Fox News.
