US-based Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is set to begin development on a part of South Boston track, which will be used to test the new fleet of Red Line cars from 2019.
MBTA all components of the new cars will be extensively tested following their delivery from the production facility in Springfield before their introduction to passenger service.
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The Red Line cars are expected to serve on the T's busiest subway line, and have already been approved by MBTA's engineering team.
The rail track will be known as Track 61 and is located adjacent to the Haul Road. It fulfills all necessary requirements for testing, including proximity to Red Line's maintenance facility.
MBTA plans to start upgrading the track after awarding a contract via a competitive bidding process. The project is expected to cost approximately $32m.
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The authority noted that 252 new cars are currently on order from the CRRC MA Corporation, which are set to replace the entire existing Red Line fleet by the end of 2023.
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By GlobalDataMBTA anticipates that this replacement, along with minor speed code changes, will increase total capacity by 50% and raise the current number of trains per hour to 20 from 13.
The new cars will be equipped with the latest propulsion and braking systems and will help enable MBTA to implement a life-cycle maintenance programme to ensure better quality maintenance for its vehicles.
Image: New red line tracks. Photo: courtesy of MBTA.
