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The dim lighting is magical, reminds me of various beautiful subterranean spaces I saw in Europe. It probably wasn't comfortable for reading a book, but that was never the goal... perfectly adequate for a subway platform so long as it has open sight lines.
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The dim lighting might be magical but it is also a very real public safety concern. Many people, especially women, won't ride metro at night because of the extremely poor lighting in many of the stations. We have an infant son and the lighting is even worse in the parts of the stations adjacent to the elevators.
To paraphrase someone from Amtrak who was quoted in a recent
Wall Street Journal article, WMATA is responsible for operating a modern, efficient, transit system, not a museum. When the lack of light in the stations drives passengers away to passenger vehicles, this is a legitimate issue.
Additionally, there is no reason the newer stations that have no historical significance like Wiehle Ave or New Carrollton can't be well-lit.