Metro News Release

For immediate release: April 21, 2005

Metro to replace carpets inside approximately 200 rail cars

To enhance the appearance of the Metrorail fleet and to reduce safety hazards, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (Metro) Board of Directors today authorized a $1.5 million program to replace the carpeting inside approximately 200 rail cars by next summer.

The carpets will be replaced inside the Rohr 1000 series rail cars and the Breda 4000 series rail cars. Metro’s car maintenance department currently repairs and replaces carpets and floorboards on approximately two cars a week.

Today’s authorization will allow Metro to initiate and award a contract to replace the carpets in the remaining 200 rail cars by next summer.

"The carpets and the floorboards inside these rail cars are showing normal wear and tear from age, increased ridership, and continuous removal of stains and substances embedded in the carpets," said Steven Feil, Metro’s Chief Operating Officer for Metrorail. This authorization today will allow us to step up our efforts to replace these carpets, and restore the interiors of these cars to like-new conditions, which will, no doubt, please our customers."

News release issued on April 21, 2005.