The MBTA may replace its entire fleet of Red Line cars, swapping decades-old vehicles for modern cars and improving the reliability and capacity of the T’s most popular line by 50 percent.
MBTA managers asked the agency’s Fiscal and Management Control Board Monday if it should overhaul the newest set of cars in the Red Line fleet, which dates from 1992 and 1993, or replace them with new cars similar to those being manufactured to replace even older vehicles. MBTA managers said the replacement plan could increase Red Line capacity by 50 percent.
The MBTA will introduce replacements for its oldest Red Line vehicles, some of which began service in the 1960s, starting in 2019. After the new cars are delivered, the oldest car stock rolling on the Red Line will be the “Type 3” cars purchased in the 1990s that have never been fully overhauled.
“Upgrading these vehicles with a more modern vehicle would have a substantial impact on our system’s performance,” said MBTA Chief Operating Officer Jeff Gonneville.
The Fiscal Management Control Board was briefed on the proposal, but did not take action beyond signaling approval of the analysis that lead to the finding on how to increase Red Line capacity.
Completing a “mid-life” overhaul for the 86 '90s-era cars could cost an estimated $200 million. Replacing the vehicles would cost the cash-strapped MBTA roughly $500 million, based on the cost of new cars currently being constructed.
The benefit of replacing the vehicles comes from the advantages of running an entire system of nearly-identical modern cars. Much of the Red Line’s headway, the distance between trains, could be reduced with newer trains that are not limited to the braking capabilities of the line’s oldest cars. Shorter distances between trains means significantly less wait time for riders.
In order to reach the estimated three minute wait times, the MBTA would need around 250 vehicles to have enough trains running at once. The Red Line currently has 218 cars.
