I see that some of the Metro trains have straps that you can hold if you are a standee. there are the metal ones that you pull down and then there are the straps that handg over the center pole and hit you in the head as you try to walk the length of the car looking for a seat. Which are the newest?
Yes, the Alstom 6000 series (the newest cars) have the small metal hand-holds. They're indentical to those that NYCTA has spec'ed on their buses since the new look era.
Both of the retrofits happened approximately simultaneously, but the metal handles wouldn't work on any car but Alstoms. Imagine hitting your head on those instead of the straps.