Metro is replacing the decades-old train cars on the Blue Line

Riders on Metro’s Blue Line may notice a new look for the train, starting today. That’s because, after more than two decades of use, most of the rail cars that have served the line in the past are being replaced with newer models already in service on the Expo and Gold Lines.

The oldest route in Metro’s growing rail network, the Blue Line opened in 1990. According to The Source, most of the cars on the line date back to within a few years of opening day. Over the next few years, those cars will be swapped out for Kinkisharyo P3010 light rail cars (the older cars are of the P865 class). A single train of new cars will roll out Monday.

jeremy jozwik | Curbed LA Flickr Pool

As Metro progresses with several major new rail projects, agency officials are also working to upgrade the performance of the aging Blue Line, which is prone to delays.

Recently, several Metro board members called for several short-term measures to speed up service along the line, as well as a study examining the possibility of adding an express train between Downtown LA and Long Beach.

Photo by Elijah Chiland

The Source reports that Metro plans to add more of the new P3010 cars to the Blue Line in the coming weeks.

• New Kinkisharyo rail cars slated to roll on Blue Line on Monday [The Source]
• Metro might explore a Blue Line express and other ways to speed up service [Curbed LA]
• Metro buys 64 new rail cars from China for the Red and Purple lines [Curbed LA]