Washington’s Metrorail could install platform screen doors at all 27 Red Line stations as part of a modernization project intended to prepare the line for automated trains. The doors would create a barrier between passengers and the tracks and help make operating conditions more predictable for upgraded train-control systems.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s long-term goal is to automate all six rail lines. Under that arrangement, trains would drive themselves, while the employee currently in the operator’s cab would take on more of an attendant role. Automation would require upgrades to several systems, including platform doors and new signaling.
In April 2026, WMATA’s Board of Directors added a $913 million Red Line Modernization project to the agency’s Fiscal Year 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Program. The approved funding covers the first phase of the broader automation plan. It includes doors at all 27 Red Line stations, Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) at the Shady Grove, Glenmont and Brentwood rail yards, and CBTC equipment for 7000-series and future 8000-series railcars.
CBTC can allow trains to run closer together and may reduce maintenance costs. Platform doors would help by keeping unwanted objects off the tracks and giving signaling and control systems a more controlled environment. The barriers could also help prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks, an incident WMATA has encountered before.
Platform doors are used on transit systems around the world. Singapore’s MRT introduced them when it opened in 1987, and WMATA has studied systems including the London Underground and Madrid Metro. Montreal’s REM, which opened its first line in 2023, uses full-height doors. Other systems, including some in Japan, use shorter gates that restrict access to the tracks without blocking as much of the view.
WMATA’s proposed doors would be 5 feet 7 inches tall. They would block access to the tracks while leaving the upper part of the platform open for views of station architecture and air circulation. The agency plans to consult design review bodies, including the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, on designs for indoor and outdoor stations.
WMATA expects project development to continue through the rest of 2026 and into 2027, with that phase due to finish by July 2028 to qualify for some federal funding. Engineering for future implementation is scheduled to begin in 2028, and installation is planned for 2030–2034. Upgrades to the other five rail lines depend on future funding, including support from the DMVMoves efforts and other sources.
Sources: Streetsblog USA.