The Washington Metro is now operating using Automatic Train Operation (ATO), six months after the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) launched the technology on the Red Line.
The ATO solution is now deployed on Blue, Orange, and Silver lines increasing safety and train speed.
“This is a major milestone for Metro, and it has been a long time coming. This is a win for customers and staff who will experience safer, more reliable rides. Meanwhile, Metro is saving money as ATO is more cost efficient,” Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke, said.
This development marks the first full return to ATO since 2009. The date was decided after rigorous internal training and testing and concurrence from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. Since December 2024 implementation, there have been no safety issues or red signal violations for trains operating in ATO.
Along with the return to ATO, the Washington Metro is also returning to the original speed of the system, up to 75 mph. Several outer portions of the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines will see speed increase from 55 mph to 65 or 75 mph in some sections.
Starting June 22, Metro will reduce end-to-end travel times by about 3 minutes on all three lines. The Yellow and Green Lines, which began using ATO in May, will also see decreased travel times of 1-2 minutes.
Based on analysis of several months of successful ATO operation in passenger service, end-to-end Red Line travel times have been reduced by a total of 8 minutes. Metro is continuously monitoring the performance of ATO, and additional time savings on the Blue, Orange, Silver, Yellow, and Green Lines may be incorporated later this year.
Metro’s full restoration of Automatic Train Operations after 16 years is a transformative achievement. This advancement drives critical improvements in operations, efficiency, system safety, and the customer experience,” Metro Board Chair, Valerie Santos, said.
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