Get ready metro Atlanta—your transit commute is shaping up to be next level! Following a conceptual design process, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) recently shared news that they’re underway with design and construction of the newest trains in their rapid rail fleet, the CQ400.
The sleek fleet is currently being readied for Atlanta’s future rail travel by the Swiss railway cars manufacturer, Stadler. The newly engineered units are scheduled to be in service starting in 2025.
Designed With All Riders in Mind
What will the trains be like? MARTA promised an “alluring mix of improved comfort, convenient technology and sleek minimalism.” The interiors will be packed with state-of-the-art conveniences and inclusive customer amenities: charging ports for devices, forward and inward-facing seating, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant (ADA) doorways and spaces, spacious luggage and bicycle-designated areas, open gangways to move easily between cars, and digital system maps and screens that display timely transit service information.
The trains’ exterior also alludes to an elevated experience. While MARTA’s three iconic stripes will flow along the vehicles’ sides, the front of each train car will also be illuminated in the same color as the rail line its running on so that customers can see the line designation at a distance.
But what makes the design so special is how the final selection directly involved nearly 4,000 customers’ input. In 2021, MARTA conducted two phases of public outreach as part of the “Your Ride, You Decide” campaign. In the first phase, more than 1,300 patrons voted on the car’s interior design features online and in-person at MARTA stations. For the second phase, about 2,600 respondents voted on the exterior design. Way to show up, metro Atlanta!
Explore the New Look of the CQ400
See videos of the CQ400 interior and exterior below: