If you ride MetroLink to work every morning, you might have noticed something different. Those two-car trains we’ve grown accustomed to are being replaced with single-car trains on select routes.
One of our followers reached out to Real STL News frustrated with the change, saying the trains simply aren’t big enough to accommodate everybody trying to get to their destination.
Well, after doing some digging, we learned that Metro Transit launched a pilot program earlier this month to test single-car operations on the Red and Blue Lines.
According to Metro, the change could save anywhere between $800,000 and $4.8 million annually in maintenance costs.
Now, we understand saving money, but here’s the question: What happens when you’ve got a platform full of people trying to squeeze onto one train car, especially during rush hour?
A survey conducted by Citizens for Modern Transit reportedly found that approximately 80% of respondents opposed the single-car pilot.
Metro says the program is being evaluated, but passengers are already speaking out about their experiences.
So we’re asking our STL MetroLink riders: Are these single-car trains getting the job done, or does Metro need to bring those two-car trains back?
📸 Photo submitted by a Real STL News follower.
