Metro News Release

For immediate release: July 19, 2006

Metro plans to upgrade rail car washes

The daily sight of dirty, grimy Metro trains may soon be a scene of the past. Metro’s Board is expected to give transit authority managers the go-ahead to begin modernizing up to six automated rail car washes.

Most of Metro’s seven car washes are in service, and are using soap and weaker cleaning solutions in order to meet environmental regulations. Metro managers say if all the washes were upgraded, the authority could use a stronger cleanser needed to get the aluminum rail cars shiny and free of grime. The agency would spend $6.3 million dollars to redesign and replace tanks, piping and other equipment for washes at Alexandria and West Falls Church rail yards over the next year and a half. Managers want to spend another $11.5 million to upgrade washes at four other rail yards when funding becomes available.

Once the work is finished, managers say the washes will meet federal and local environmental requirements for discharge of stronger cleaning solutions, and they’ll be able to handle four, eight-car trains an hour.

News release issued on July 19, 2006.