ATLANTA — MARTA is adding more rail cars to its Red and Gold line trains as part of ongoing transit system improvements that have recently included more frequent service and shorter customer wait times, the agency announced.
During regular weekday service, trains running on both lines will be extended from four to six cars, until further notice, as MARTA continues to monitor customer comments and evaluate ridership trends.
The introduction of more frequent rail service has been well-received by many customers, MARTA said. In order to maximize system efficiency and enhance customer convenience, the length of trains and other transit system features will be adjusted accordingly.
“When we added more frequent trains, we realized we’d have the opportunity to fine-tune the service, and that’s what we’re doing now,” Keith T. Parker, MARTA’s GM/CEO, said in a news release. “We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback about shorter wait times, and we’ll keep looking for other ways to make our bus and rail service more attractive by listening to customers about how we can keep making MARTA better.”
Over the next few weeks, MARTA will be evaluating the appropriate balance of train lengths.
The previously announced enhanced service times of five-minute waits on the trunk (before the lines split) and 10-minute waits on the branches will remain the same. In order to minimize crowding, customers are being asked to also board the trains in the middle of the platform, not just at the ends.
