Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will start work on a piece of South Boston track that will be used for testing the new Red Line cars, beginning in 2019. As a critical step in the delivery and acceptance process, the track will be used to test the new cars after they come from the production facility in Springfield.
Every element of the cars’ systems will be rigorously tested to ensure that the new trains operate safely and reliably upon introduction to passenger service. After the cars are fully tested and approved by an MBTA engineering team, the new Red Line trains will start serving customers on the T’s busiest metro line.
At a projected cost of USD 32 million, upgrading of the track will commence in the fall after the MBTA solicits bids and awards a contract for the necessary work. Currently on order from the CRRC MA Corporation, 252 new cars will replace the entire existing Red Line fleet by the end of 2023.
The MBTA estimates this replacement will boost capacity by 50 per cent, raising the current number of trains per hour from 13 to 20. The new cars also have the latest propulsion and braking systems, allowing the achievement of a three-minute headway target, reducing customer wait times.
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