Changes are coming to Metro.
The biggest, and most immediate, change is the return of automatic train operations (ATO) to the Red Line this weekend. It's the first time Metro has used computers to control certain trains since a deadly crash in 2009.
But with the release of Metro's 2025 budget proposal, it's clear that more changes are in store. Those changes, if implemented, would increase service, improve efficiency and reinforce the current infrastructure without increasing prices for riders.
Here's a look at this weekend's ATO comeback, and some of the other proposed changes in Metro's budget.
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Automatic Train Operations
ATO returns to Metro on Sunday, Dec. 15. That's when the Red Line will have a computer instead of a human as the primary controller of riders' Metro trains.
But just because the trains will be operated automatically does not mean that the train is running without any human input. The train operator isn't going anywhere, and that real person will remain behind the controls, watching for issues and taking over if need be.
Think of the ATO as something like cruise control, or autopilot.
"Going into automatic mode will regulate the speed of the train automatically, so the operator can pay attention to conditions ahead of them," said Tiffany Jenkins, a member of Metro's signaling department. "They can pay attention to alerts that come on the console, and they can react to those faster."
ATO will come to the rest of the Metro map outside of the Red Line in 2025. Learn more about it here.
Increased train service
Part of Metro's plan for customers riding the rails is to increase train service on the Green and Yellow Lines on weekdays, and along the Red and Silver Lines during peak travel times.
This would be done by having two different train patterns along the Yellow and Silver Lines, with some trains going further distances so that others can turn around sooner.
- Half of Yellow Line trains would go from Huntington all the way to Greenbelt, while the other half would only from from Huntington to Mt. Vernon Square.
- For the Silver line, half of trains would go from Ashburn all the way to New Carrollton, while the other half would go from Ashburn to Downtown Largo.
Metro would also extend weekend hours, opening at 6 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and closing at 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Payment changes
The new Metro budget does not make any changes to fare prices, but it does propose increasing the number of payment options.
If the changes is approved, riders could use contactless Open Payment systems like a mobile wallet, smartwatch or a credit/debit card to tap into Metro stations, rather than needing to use a SmartTrip card.
The changes would then roll out to Metrobus next summer, and to parking lots and garages next fall.
Metrobus
Metro has already implemented a series of changes to Metrobus this year, including 24/7 service along some routes and more priority lanes.
The funding for those and other changes has already been approved by the Metro Board, as part of the 2025 Better Bus Network Redesign, Metro said. More of the changes will be put in place next summer.
Learn more about the redesign project here.
