The first Red Line cars entered service on MBTA's system on Dec. 31, 2020.
MBTA
Dec. 31—BOSTON — The MBTA put the first new six-car Red Line train into service Wednesday, step forward in the project that promises 252 new cars from Springfield's CRRC MA but which is running a year late.
This train consisted of pilot cars built by CRRC in Changchun, China, said CRRC MA spokeswoman Lydia Rivera. The remainder of the new Red Line Cars will be built at CRRC's manufacturing plant in Springfield.
The pilot cars underwent testing for months, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Officials said they were the first new cars on the Red Line since 1994.
The new train entered passenger service around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, leaving Cabot Yard and heading toward Braintree, then from Braintree to Alewife, and from Alewife to Ashmont, according to spokeswoman Lisa Battiston.
This website newtrains.today tracks the train's current location.
The T debuted the new Red Line cars on passenger service Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020 in Boston . Built by CRRC, most of the order of new cars will be assembled in Springfield. (Photo courtesy of the MBTA)
"While the MBTA is pleased to put the first new Red Line train into passenger service, there is much work ahead of us," said General Manager Steve Poftak. "As we enter 2021, the cars' manufacturer and our vehicle engineering team are singularly focused on improving the pace of production and delivery."
"Subjecting the new Red Line and Orange Line trains to a high degree of scrutiny, the MBTA will continue to closely monitor the cars to ensure they are performing at optimum levels," Poftak said. "When ridership begins to rebound in the future, new trains and major infrastructure improvements will combine to provide Red Line and Orange Line riders with safe and reliable service for decades."
CRRC, the Chinese-owned largest rail car manufacturer in the world, received a $566 million contract from the MBTA in 2014 to build 152 Orange Line cars and 252 Red Line cars in Springfield. In 2016, the state upped the order with another 120 Red Line cars, with a production cost of $277 million.
The T said the 404 new cars will have service lives of at least 30 years.
It has already accepted its 24th Springfield-built Orange Line car. The Orange Line runs six-car trains and typically has three of them, for 18 cars total, in service daily.
The state went without federal money on the new trains project so it could require final assembly in Massachusetts. CRRC built a $95 million, 204,000-square-foot factory on Page Boulevard and later added a 48,000-square-foot warehouse.
CRRC has blamed production problems on difficulty training new employees. Then came disruptions caused by COVID-19, both to the workforce here and to the supply chain overseas. Some 60% of the rail car components are U.S.-made.
The T debuted the new Red Line cars on passenger service Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020 in Boston. Built by CRRC, most of the order of new cars will be assembled in Springfield.
___
(c)2020 The Republican, Springfield, Mass.
Visit The Republican, Springfield, Mass. at www.masslive.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
"enter" - Google News
January 04, 2021 at 07:20PM
https://ift.tt/389zCy6
MA: CRRC's 1st Red Line subway cars enter service for MBTA in Greater Boston - MassTransitMag.com
"enter" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2TwxTMf
https://ift.tt/3d6LMHD
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "MA: CRRC's 1st Red Line subway cars enter service for MBTA in Greater Boston - MassTransitMag.com"
Post a Comment