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In an effort to reduce maintenance costs and make rail cars more aesthetically appealing, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is testing four different styles of resilient floors inside new series 6000 cars.

To date, all Metrorail cars feature carpeted floors, which need to be vacuumed once a week, shampooed every two months and replaced every five years at a cost of $5,200 per car. The floors WMATA is testing — Noraplan and Abrastop resilient floors — have a life expectancy of  more than 25 years. The floors have been installed in five cars, which WMATA will test during the next six months before selecting a style.