Every night, MARTA’s 318 railcars, each weighing 81,000 pounds, pull in to this gleaming maintenance facility for the mass transit equivalent of a tune-up and a detail. Here, in a facility just west of the Connector near Armour Circle, they’re cleaned and inspected by a crew of 130. These days, technicians are outfitting the cars with security cameras, LED lighting, and Wi-Fi. The average MARTA car is 25 years old, which makes the thorough inspections all the more vital. In operation since 2005, Armour Yard last year won an ISO certification that MARTA crows about: It’s the only transit system in the Southeast with such a designation, which is earned by maintaining high quality and environmental standards. Drone elevation: 23 feet
This article originally appeared in our May 2015 issue.
