Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) presented the mock-up of the new Red Line car, which will replace the old trains currently running on Boston’s metro line.
The vehicles will be constructed at CRRC MA’s first North American rail car manufacturing facility in Springfield, Massachusetts, which was completed in April 2018.
The new cars have the latest propulsion and braking systems, allowing the achievement of a 3-minute headway target, reducing customer wait times. A standardized Red Line fleet comprised of entirely new cars also allows the MBTA to implement a life-cycle maintenance program, resulting in better maintained vehicles, fewer disabled trains causing service disruptions, and an extended service life of at least 30 years. Accessibility improvements include wider door openings for easier boarding, minimized gaps between platform and car door, dedicated accessibility areas, and technology advanced audio and visual passenger information.
In 2014, MBTA awarded CRRC MA the contract to design and manufacture the new Orange and Red Line metro cars and at the end of 2016, the MBTA’s Management Control Board voted to replace the entirety of the Red Line fleet with new cars. Under the contract, CRRC MA will deliver 152 Orange and 252 Red line metro cars.
Assembly of the new Orange Line cars is underway with the first production cars scheduled to be completed in December 2018.
The assembly of new Red Line vehicles will follow beginning in summer 2019 and will be tested on an area of test track in South Boston. Delivery of both fleets will continue through 2022 with all production vehicles assembled and tested in the CRRC MA facility in Springfield.
The MBTA is investing nearly USD 2 billion in the Red Line as part of the Red Line/Orange Line Improvement Programme, which includes procuring the new vehicles.
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