Washington Metro Exercises Year 2 Option for 100 New Flyer Buses Under 500-Unit Contract

Source: NFI Group Inc ↗

One hundred New Flyer transit buses, 75 Xcelsior hybrid-electric forty-foot models and 25 Xcelsior CHARGE NG battery-electric forty-foot models, are headed to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority after the agency exercised its second-year options under a five-year, 500-bus contract with New Flyer of America Inc.

The options were drawn from New Flyer’s second-quarter 2026 backlog. Funding comes from a mix of federal, state and local programs, including grants from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No Emission grant program.

The 100 buses will replace retiring fleet units. Metro operates 1,300 vehicles across 7,500 stops serving 1,500 square miles spanning Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and is recognized as the fifth-largest bus system in the country, with four million residents in its service area.

This is the third tranche under the five-year contract. New Flyer announced the base order of 100 hybrid-electric buses in February 2025. Metro then exercised its Year 1 options in February 2026 for an additional 75 Xcelsior forty-foot hybrid-electric buses and 25 Xcelsior CHARGE NG forty-foot battery-electric buses. The current order represents the Year 2 option exercise.

Metro Chief Operations Officer Leroy Jones said the new buses carry enhanced safety features, increased passenger room, improved comfort and updated onboard equipment. “Our newest buses have enhanced safety features, give customers more room, improved comfort, and the latest onboard features to enhance their travel experience,” Jones said. “These vehicles represent an important investment in a modern fleet that better serves our customers today while preparing us for the future.”

Chris Stoddart, President of North American Bus and Coach at NFI Group Inc., said the order supports the agency’s modernization goals and domestic manufacturing. “Metro’s investment in our hybrid and battery-electric buses shows a strong commitment to efficiency and modernization,” Stoddart said. “We’re proud to supply Buy America-compliant vehicles that support the agency’s innovation goals and boost local manufacturing across the country.”

New Flyer’s active North American support base covers more than 35,000 heavy-duty transit buses, including legacy New Flyer, NABI and Orion units. Of those, 8,600 are powered by electric motors and battery propulsion and 1,900 are zero-emission.

Metro is marking 50 years of service in 2026. The agency’s five-year Strategic Transformation Plan identifies becoming the region’s premier choice for safe and efficient transportation as its central objective.

Three additional option years remain under the five-year contract, with a ceiling of 500 buses total across all exercises.