Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 2, 2006

Doors Closing Voice debuts on Metrorail

The voice of Randi Miller will become a familiar sound to hundreds of thousands Metrorail riders, beginning today.

Miller’s voice debuted this morning on a six-car Yellow Line train. The 44-year-old Woodbridge, Va., woman won Metro’s "Doors Closing Voice 2006" contest last month. She beat out 1,258 other contestants for the opportunity to record the "doors closing" message that plays every time a train leaves a station. Her voice will be installed on one train per line over the next several weeks. After field testing, a final recording will be heard systemwide in late spring.

Metro sought a fresh voice and new sound in an effort to make rail riders take notice, and exit and board trains quickly and safely.

In addition to changing the voice heard on trains, the messages and chime have been modified. The new messages are:

1) Chime. Doors opening. Step back so customers may exit. When boarding move to the center of the car.

2) Chime. Step back. Doors closing.

3) (To be played if doors can not close after second message.) Chime. Step back to allow the doors to close.

Changing the "doors closing" voice on Metrorail trains is one part of a campaign to improve the flow of passengers through trains and stations. Additional efforts include more frequent station and train announcements asking riders not to block the doors and move to the center of rail cars, stationing extra employees on busy platforms to help in crowded conditions, and studying the removal of seats and reconfiguration of handrails on rail cars to allow for more standing room and better flow into and out of rail cars. Metro also plans to test directional signs on platform floors this spring. They will indicate where to stand while waiting for a train in an effort to expedite the exiting and boarding process.

News release issued on March 2, 2006.