The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) has introduced a set of six new Hitachi-built subway cars into passenger service.
A ceremony was held at Johns Hopkins Metro Subway Station to commemorate the occasion, which saw the attendance of State and local leaders, including MDOT Acting Secretary Kathryn Thomson and MTA Administrator Holly Arnold.
The new cars have now entered service
© The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration
The new railcars were assembled at Hitachi’s manufacturing facility in Hagerstown, MD, and arrive as part of a wider commitment by Gov. Wes Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller to modernize Maryland’s transit network.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), said:
Federal Team Maryland has consistently fought to invest in modernising infrastructure, working to deliver more than $400 million in federal funding to support this fleet of new Maryland-made rail cars.
These new rail cars will provide safer, more reliable, and more comfortable service for thousands of daily commuters in Baltimore.
Each new railcar features larger windows, brighter lighting, expanded bicycle spaces, improved digital signage, wider doors, updated passenger information displays and a modern audio announcement system.
The rollout comes alongside the debut of a brand-new communications-based train control and signal system, which allows trains to communicate in real time.
Thus far, the MDOT MTA has committed over 1 billion USD to light rail and metro improvements, including the acquisition of new vehicles, upgraded train control systems, station enhancements, and an expansion of frontline staffing.
Additional railcars are planned to be introduced throughout 2026, with the full 78 vehicle fleet set to be complete by 2027.