Asbestos to be removed from Metro cars; public not at risk

The 1000 series railcars are 40-years-old and the oldest railcars in the Metro system.

A small amount of asbestos was found in hundreds of 1000 series Metro railcars, according to a WMATA contract proposal. The proposal says that there’s “a small amount of asbestos in the heater box behind the evaporator in each railcar”.

Ly says the material does not release fibers unless it is sawed through or drilled through.

The 1000-series railcars, which are now 40 years old and at the end of their life, contain an extremely small amount of a non-friable asbestos-containing material within a specific mechanical area of the railcar.

Three cars, 1079, 1107 and 1170, had exposed asbestos, but have not been used since 2009.

The tender announcement says the disposal of the cars must be done within two years. Those three railcars, however, have been out of service since 2009, however.

Companies wishing to remove the asbestos have a deadline of August 21 to submit an offer.

Exposure to asbestos can have negative effects on one’s lungs and increase a person’s risk of lung disease and lung cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. On the inside of the 1000-series, the railcar number is printed on the doors at the end of the railcars.

Great, another thing Metro riders have to worry about: asbestos.

“Good gracious”, said one train operator who asked to be kept anonymous when told about the issue.

Amalgamated Transit Union local 689, which represents DC’s metro workers, did not comment to NBC as of Tuesday evening. Metro’s 1000overvallenseries vehicle, that will go back for in the instruct system’s exposing in 1976, have a “small number of asbestos fiber…” As soon as the asbestos can be removed, that is.