Blue Line Gets New Cars

Joined by federal, state and local officials at Aquarium Station, Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen and MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas today introduced a train of four brand new Blue Line cars into passenger service. The new cars represent the first set of 94 vehicles to be delivered over the next 18-to-20 months. Many of the train platforms along the Blue Line have been lengthened to accommodate six-car trains. The replacement of the nearly 30-year old Blue Line fleet is part of the MBTA’s overall project to significantly upgrade service on the Blue Line.

Manufactured by Siemens Transportation Systems at a cost of $172 million, the new stainless steel cars boast increased accessibility, wider passenger seating, hand straps, and automated audio/visual display of station announcements. Additional features include: passenger emergency intercoms, smoke detectors, and wheel-mounted noise absorbers to reduce screeching on curves.

Touting the administration’s commitment to improvements to the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure, Secretary of Transportation and MBTA Board Chairman Bernard Cohen said, “With Governor Patrick at the helm, the delivery of quality public transportation remains a priority. Having his passionate support allows us to continue with our goals of improvements to public transportation that provide citizens with transit options.”

Noting that the Blue Line is a vital link to downtown Boston for residents of the North Shore, and a connection to Logan International Airport, General Manager Grabauskas said, “With 57,000 customer trips a day, the delivery could not have came at a better time. We will increase from four to six the number of cars in a train set, thus carry more customers. It’s a win situation for both our every day customer and for those folk who may opt to leave their car at home and take public transportation.”