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Yesterday, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) began running more trains on its busiest line.

The authority increased peak period service on the Red Line 20 percent. Seven additional trains run on the line between 5:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The increased service will reduce headways, provide more frequent service in the downtown portion of the line, and offer passengers a more comfortable, less crowded ride, according to a prepared statement.

New passenger cars operating on the line are part of a $387 million contract with AAI Corp. and Construcciones Y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, which recently completed delivery of all 192 cars.

But ridership still is growing and more overcrowding will occur on all lines during the next few years if the region is unable to fund the system’s capital needs, WMATA officials said. The authority has requested funds to purchase 120 additional cars and complete infrastructure improvements to support eight-car trains.