For the better part of Metrorail’s 50-year history trains have been mostly two colors: silver and brown. Perhaps apropos for the sometimes button-upped government town.

But in the last seven months, trains have been temporarily taking on vibrant new shades: navy blue with a big red ribbon for the holidays, pink and white for cherry blossom season, and a big rainbow motif for Pride month. The trains stay in service for about a month.

The initiative was spurred on by new WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke, who has wanted riders to feel proud of the system and feel a sense of ownership in taking care of it.

“Metro is an integral part of our community and we take pride in being part of the holidays and special events that our customers observe every year,” WMATA spokesperson Ian Jannetta said in an email. “Wraps are a great way to bring our community together and build excitement for transit.”

Metro follows other cities like Chicago, which has an over-the-top holiday train, and New York, which wrapped its trains as part of a sponsored ad campaign to celebrate the Mets’ playoff run. D.C.’s streetcar and Circulator buses, run by DDOT, have also had seasonal wraps in recent years.

Metro’s wraps have ricocheted around social media with many sharing photos and saying the trains brought them joy. People have also specifically sought to ride the special trains, tracking them down using WMATA.com/live and clicking “Special Edition.” One person has even created mini-paper models of each special train.

But not everyone is happy with the wraps, saying Metro has bigger problems to tackle. The colorful Pride train faced anti-gay backlash, and some critics have been concerned about the cost of the wraps ahead of Metro’s $750 million fiscal cliff next year.

Metro says the wraps come at no cost through its revenue-generating contract with its ad agency, Outfront Media. Some wraps are even part of ad sales, like when the Nationals bought one to promote its City Connect jerseys.

Metro has dipped its toes into vinyl wraps before, back in 2017, but the results weren’t as flashy as today. Back then, the agency used vinyl wraps to update the look of the older 3000-and-6000-series trains, making them look like their newer cousin, the 7000-series. It cost about $5,000 per car back then, according to a Washington Post story.

The Washington Post reported that Metro did it to give railcars a “clean, unified look — and save money in the long run” since painting a railcar is more expensive than wrapping it and wraps last longer. It also allows easier cleaning. Metro did not end up wrapping all its older train cars, but some older vinyl-wrapped trains can still be seen on the system today.

Here’s a look at all the specialty vinyl wraps Metro has brought to the system.

Winter Holiday (Train and bus, winter 2022)

Metro’s first foray into festive wraps included a Happy Holidays message, a navy background with white snowflakes, and a big red bow. Interior posters continued the theme.

Silver Line (Train, January 2023)

Metro opened the Silver Line extension just months earlier in November. A wrap to promote “connections” with the new line including “connecting with the world” at Dulles Airport, and several other themes including history, culture, nature, and more. It had pictures of pandas, Dulles Airport, the Lincoln Memorial, and more.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (Bus, February 2023)

Metro honored Martin Luther King Jr. with a special bus for his birthday in February. The civil rights leader’s face and famous quote, “I have decided to stick to love. Hate is too great a burden to bear,” was on the side.

Cherry Blossom (Train and bus, March 2023)

Perhaps one of the most popular trains based on social media mentions, the Cherry Blossom train and bus showcased D.C.’s most famous flower, the cherry blossom. “The blossoms are calling” was emblazoned on the side and floating cherry blossoms adorned the inside posters.

Nats City Connect (Train, April 2023 spotted as recently as June)

Another cherry blossom-themed train featured the grey and pink motif of the Nationals’ alternative “City Connect” jersey. The ad promoted the team’s special jerseys and the QR code took you to the Nats’ website that had the schedule of when the uniform would be worn.

Earth Day (Bus, April 2023)

Metro held a contest for kids to submit an Earth Day design and had more than 240 submissions. Fifteen of them were selected and put on three buses in April to celebrate Earth Day. The designs focused on the role public transportation plays in the environment, combating climate change, and supporting sustainable and livable communities.

Yellow Line (Train interior, May 2023)

Metro’s Yellow Line was closed for almost nine months for construction while it rehabilitated the bridge over the Potomac River and a nearby tunnel. To celebrate its reopening, Metro went with an Elton John-themed party complete with a train that featured an interior motif of “Yellow Brick Road.”

Pride (Train and bus, June 2023)

The Pride train definitely had the most excitement around it based on social media response. The outside featured the colors of the “Progress Pride flag” and had a slogan of “Peace, love, pride, Metro” on the outside and inside.

Fourth of July (Train and bus, July 2023)

Fourth of July is one of the District’s biggest holidays with the annual fireworks show on the National Mall and several other celebrations around the region. Metro is one of the key ways people get to the events, so keep an eye out for the Fourth of July train adorned with fireworks and the slogan, “With Liberty & Transportation For All.”

What’s next?

Metro says it will continue to do wraps in the future. What else could we see? A pardoned Thanksgiving turkey train? A Veterans Day train to thank those who served? A Black History Month train? We don’t know for sure, but we’ll keep an eye out and update this story as we spot more special trains.