Photo by Luis Inzunza/Metro.
An Expo Line train was tested on the stretch of tracks north of Washington Boulevard today, reaching the 7th/Metro Center station that it will eventually share with the Blue Line.
Expo Line train reaches 7th/Metro station in test run
awesome, now we just need the line to open.
Will the Siemens trains be repainted to aqua blue to make sure passengers are able to distinguish that from the Nippon Sharyo trains on the Blue Line?
How appropriate after Today’s “How do they do that?” post. Any word on how the two lines will share this station? One platform for departures and another for arrivals, or one side for Expo and one side for Blue?
Could the LA Metro print shop maybe create some more professional looking “Test Train” signs?
Heard a report on 1070 news that the line will open in the spring. What is the expected completion date of the Culver City station?
Hi Warren and everyone;
There still is no opening date set — it all depends on how the testing continues to go. It’s obviously good that they got a train into 7th/Metro, but don’t project it to mean anything yet.
As for the operations plan at 7th/Metro, I don’t yet know the plan to board trains. I’m also unaware of any plans to re-paint any trains. I think it will be easy to distinguish the two lines by the electronic signs on the trains themselves.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
@Simon Oh
Metro doesn’t need to paint the whole train with a single color. A single strand colored cheat line does the exact same job but with less paint.
Some of the ideas I already mentioned include:
A flippable cheatline
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Hph9YlPPhps/TwYMhuE9BVI/AAAAAAAAAGE/BOVeji2nmRs/s800/idea1.jpg
Flip down when Red Line, flip up when it’s a Purple Line
Install interchangeable panel railings
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-StSct1Oi5PE/TwYMhrnDW1I/AAAAAAAAAGA/jE_8ZjCpUjs/s800/idea2.jpg
Replace cheatline with correct color when needed
Install LCD signs with colored texts
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rw663YaOgDY/TwYMiLCfSRI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/Htvx2Qm5K-o/s800/idea3.jpg
All of these are much more cost efficient ways to do it then spending thousands of dollars painting the entire rail car set, especiailly considering that rail cars can be used interchangeably with one another on a different line.
A step in the right direction.. Lets speed it up… “Allll abbboooard!”. Or shall I say; “Stand clear, doors are closing, this train wil be departing for Culver City..”
I hope so Steve but I still have a hard time distinguishing red line from purple line trains on the subway. Seems easy enough but for some reason they keep public transport in LA just confusing enough to keep new riders away.
PLEASE, REpaint these Metro Line cars….the paint choices only confirm that public transportation stereotypes: depressing, ghetto, and dirty. Moreover, the color treatment blends in too well with an urban environment-at pavement grade: Cars vs. Rail. I have only one word: OUCH!