Metro Transit to replace 6,000 cloth light rail seat covers with plastic

It’s the end of an era at Metro Transit, where for 16 years light-rail passengers have faced the potential of a soggy-bottomed winter commute.

By spring, Metro Transit will replace the 6,000 cloth seats on all of its 91 light-rail train cars with plastic seats.

The plastic seats, which have been tested out on a limited number of light-rail trains, have proven easier to clean and maintain, a special boon during the pandemic.

“Our customers have been asking us to do this for a while, so we’re excited to take this step and improve their riding experience,” Ryan McTeague, director of light-rail vehicle maintenance, said in a Metro Transit statement.

On average, staff have refurbished nearly 3,900 of the original cloth seats a year, accounting for more than 1,600 work hours.

The Metropolitan Council approved a $1.8 million contract for the design and manufacture of plastic seats in early 2020, estimating that reduced maintenance could lead to more than $200,000 in annual savings.