Metro stations have always been dimly lit, adding to the general cathedral-like atmosphere upon which the transit system has built much of its reputation. But that may soon change.

As part of a pilot program, Metro recently installed new lighting on the underside of the mezzanine level in the Foggy Bottom Metro station, flooding part of the platform with a bright white light. I noticed this last week as I arrived in the morning, and the effect was, well, jarring. As we pulled into the Metro station and the front of the train proceeded under the mezzanine level, it suddenly seemed like someone had poked a hole in the station’s ceiling and let natural light shine in. Commuters emerging from the train seemed disoriented, the white light clashing with the station’s otherwise muted tones.

We called Metro for comment, but didn’t get much from them beyond it being a test of some sort. The station manager at Foggy Bottom didn’t even know about the changes, admitting, “I’m out of the loop on this one.”

Unlike Metro’s plan to install colored LED lights along the platform edge in its stations, this isn’t a very good idea. While some Metro stations are a little too dark for their own good, banks of what seem to be flourescent lights might be too dramatic a change. We like Metro’s cathedral-like qualities, and bright white lights are sure to wreck that.