MARTA sheds new light on safer, tech-enabled railcar fleet Josh Green Mon, 03/31/2025 - 08:14 Anyone with a passing interest in Atlanta transit has probably seen the state-of-the-art aesthetics of MARTA’s new railcar fleet. But did you know each train will be implanted with microphones, placed strategically to pick up sudden, loud noises and alert operators?
MARTA shares that factoid and others about its next-generation CQ400 trains as part of its second monthly installment of Behind the Ride series.
Like accessibility, safety will be paramount for the new railcar fleet, according to MARTA.
Following a high-profile January unveiling at State of MARTA 2025, the CQ400 trains are undergoing final testing as MARTA formulates plans to introduce them to the public. They will mark “a significant step forward in transit modernization,” per the agency’s latest column.
One of the new CQ400 railcars on MARTA's tracks. Courtesy of MARTA
Connie Krisak, MARTA’s senior director of rail vehicle procurement, relays that each detail of the new trains was designed with functionality and the rider experience in mind, from placement of emergency call buttons to seating arrangements.
MARTA credits Krisak with pushing seasoned railcar manufacturer Stadler US Inc. to deliver “groundbreaking” railcars to Atlanta—ones with designs influenced by thousands of rider surveys collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, regarding every aspect from digital signage to seat positions to lighting.
Krisak describes the resulting new interiors as “comfortable and intuitive,” encased with “bold MARTA branding” on the exteriors, all meant to serve Atlantans for decades to come.
Beyond the microphones dotted around railcars, other safety upgrades will include LED lighting and enhanced Communications-Based Train Controlcapabilities, per MARTA.
In terms of functionality, the new CQ400 trains will each be a four-car set with open gangways in between, allowing MARTA riders to pass between more than one car at once. That will make inter-car movement for passengers and security staff easier.
Inside the more open and digitized new CQ400 trains bound for MARTA's system. Courtesy of MARTA
Charging stations, digital maps, computerized service information, and forward and inward-facing seats are also included. One goal for MARTA is to provide more room for bikes, strollers, luggage, and people in wheelchairs, officials have said.
According to MARTA, the front exterior of each railcar will have a lighted “smile” in either red, gold, blue, or green that clearly denotes the color of each approaching rail line.
Testing on the first two Stadler vehicles to arrive in Atlanta in January is expected to take roughly a year. (They’re the first models of their kind to operate in the U.S., making the testing phase time-consuming but critical, MARTA officials previously told Urbanize Atlanta.) However, MARTA heads have said additional trains are en route that don’t require such a long testing period.
That means, should all go as planned, the first new MARTA train will go into revenue service in July, the transit agency said in January.
How the new MARTA railcars' open gangway designs allow for passenger travel throughout the train. Courtesy of MARTA
MARTA entered a contract in 2019 to purchase $646 million worth of modernized new railcars from Stadler—funded via MARTA’s capital improvement program—marking the largest procurement deal ever for both the veteran train builder and transit agency.
MARTA launched an initiative in 2021 called “Your Ride, You Decide” that let people vote on four exterior options for the new fleet. (The winning design is meant to evoke speed, officials have said.) Stadler continues to build out the fleet to MARTA’s specifications in Salt Lake City.
Currently, many of MARTA’s 300 railcars date to the agency’s 1970s beginnings and are prone to breakdowns, agency leaders have said.
A juxtaposition of MARTA's first CQ400 train to be operational on tracks (left) and a current railcar. Courtesy of MARTA
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One of the new CQ400 railcars on MARTA's tracks. Courtesy of MARTA
Inside the more open and digitized new CQ400 trains bound for MARTA's system. Courtesy of MARTA
A juxtaposition of MARTA's first CQ400 train to be operational on tracks (left) and a current railcar. Courtesy of MARTA
How the new MARTA railcars' open gangway designs allow for passenger travel throughout the train. Courtesy of MARTA
Courtesy of MARTA
The front exteriors of railcars will have a lighted “smile” in either red, gold, blue, or green that denotes the color of each approaching rail line, per MARTA. Courtesy of MARTA
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