New MARTA train cars delayed ... again

Stadler, the Swiss company building the cars at its Utah plant, has said there’s no other train like it running in North America.

MARTA spokesperson Stephany Fisher said the new date “provides Stadler time to ensure testing and revenue service schedules are met, and gets trains into service prior to the World Cup.”

When asked if MARTA is concerned with the launch being so close to the World Cup start, Fisher said: “Challenges always exist, but MARTA and Stadler are working a rigorous testing schedule to ensure the successful operation of these new trains.”

Hunt told legislators that the new trains are among the most-asked questions directed to him.

“When will the new train cars come?” Hunt said. “Get ready to ride in June.”

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

That question has also been asked by leaders in the business community and at Atlanta City Hall, who say MARTA’s performance during the World Cup will have a big impact on the success of the tournament here and how Atlanta is viewed by an international audience.

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood was at odds with business and city political leaders over delivery of several projects before he stepped down because of visa work issues last year. Hunt has consistently said he will remain laser focused on project delivery until a permanent CEO is found.

A.J. Robinson, president and CEO of Central Atlanta Progress, said he knows MARTA leadership has a lot of hurdles to clear in the next few months.

The transit agency is trying to deliver new fare gates, beautify stations, reopen the streetcar and complete bus-rapid transit projects. The new train cars are just one project among many, but Robinson said he is optimistic that the stakes at play, especially the World Cup, will drive MARTA to succeed.

“I, for one, believe they will find a way to make it happen,” he said.

The first new train debuted in January 2025, rolling into MARTA’s Lindbergh Station to cheers. Stadler has been delivering additional trains periodically — six sets so far, Hunt told legislators, with 10 more at various stages of manufacturing.

Of the train sets in Atlanta, two are in a preliminary testing phase at MARTA’s rail yards and four are undergoing advanced testing on the tracks themselves, according to Hunt.

The more advanced dynamic testing started the first weekend of December, he said, and involves operating the trains on their own power and at top speeds. That type of testing continues to take place most nights, Hunt said.

Other tests have checked load-bearing capabilities and simulated hot and cold weather conditions, he said.

Hunt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Editorial Board last month that the new cars were testing well.

“We were at top speed on the rail, and I was able to walk from the front all the way to the back without being jostled,” Hunt told the AJC. “It’s an extremely quiet, extremely smooth ride.”

At a September news briefing, Hunt said MARTA was trying to coordinate an April launch of several major capital projects — among them the new rail cars, a bus network redesign and new fare gates.

“It’s a lot to ask for a patron to absorb over multiple months,” Hunt said then. “Instead, we decided: no, let’s gather this all up and try to target and hit April and have that one impact.”

But beyond promising the new cars will be in service before the World Cup games, Hunt declined to put a specific date on the launch, saying: “That’s where we got in trouble before.”

A launch during the first week of June meets the World Cup deadline — barely. The first matches in Atlanta are scheduled for June 15.

— Staff writer Zachary Hansen contributed to this report.