6 new Orange Line cars are expected to go live on Wednesday
Who will be the lucky first passengers?
Orange Line passengers have something to look forward to this week.The new Orange Line cars have been spotted gleaming at Oak Grove Station, and departing Ruggles. And on Wednesday, six of the new, shiny silver-and-orange cars will stop at stations along the line and their doors will slide open to accept their first passengers.MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak told members of the T’s Fiscal Management and Control Board that the new cars should be in operation by midday, noting that these train cars are the first to go into service with more to be added in September.“They have a lot to offer our customers as well as our employees,” Poftak said during the Monday meeting. “So we are really excited to get these cars going.”
Compared to their older counterparts, the new train cars include LED lights and LCD screens, plus wider side doors, according to a presentation Poftak made to the board.
The cars took “a little longer than we hoped to get them in service” due to some safety issues, according to Stephanie Pollack, MassDOT’s CEO and secretary. But Poftak confirmed that those have been resolved and that the new cars have cleared rigorous testing.
“I know people were eager to get these cars in service earlier, we’re pleased to be getting them in service now,” he said.
Here are some photos of the new cars:
