Kendall Murry
| WABE
June 2nd, 2026
Updated June 2, 2026,
4:07 PM EDT
MARTA is temporarily putting the brakes on the launch of its new railcars, with the announcement coming less than two weeks away from Atlanta’s World Cup kickoff match.
Initially scheduled for June 4, the transit company announced Tuesday that its CQ400 railcars would be postponed amid safety concerns.
According to MARTA officials, testing of the railcars is still underway, but they will not be ready to enter revenue service as originally planned.
“The safety of our employees and riders is always our priority. We are committed to ensuring all testing and safety certifications are complete before the railcars begin serving riders,” MARTA said in a statement to WABE.
“We remain focused on supporting customers and employees in our ongoing response following this weekend’s tragic incident on our system.”
Announced by MARTA in January 2025, the newly designed train features open gangway designs, upgraded lighting and seating, digital display and charging stations.
The redesigned trains were one of several initiatives that were meant to revitalize the agency in the wake of metro Atlanta’s growing population. Other announced changes that have already been implemented include fare payment machine upgrades and the launch of the NextGen Bus Network.
The postponement of the CQ400 launch comes less than a week after an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report revealing that the $707 million project had not yet passed the required safety tests to be on the railway.
According to Georgia policy, MARTA must notify the Georgia Department of Transportation that its trains are safe and ready for passengers 30 days before it plans to begin service, which had not yet been done by the report’s May 27 publication.
In a statement to WABE, the Georgia Department of Transportation says it continues to work closely with MARTA to review and evaluate the required safety documentation, test results and operational readiness materials for the new rail cars.
“The safety certification process is designed to ensure that all applicable federal and state safety requirements are satisfied prior to the vehicles entering passenger service,” the statement reads.
“Safety remains the top priority for both Georgia DOT and MARTA. Georgia DOT remains engaged with MARTA throughout the certification and review process. Because the review is ongoing and involves technical and operational evaluations, it would be premature to comment on specific timelines or determinations.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include a statement from the Georgia Department of Transportation.
