I JUST SUBCRIBED!

“The amount of buses that can be at Midwest at a time is around 20 all in various stages of remanufacturing. For each individual bus, this total makeover takes around 10 months. The first step in the process is complete inspection of the bus, both inside and out. Remanufacturing buses is not only cost-effective but is also a more environmentally friendly option than simply replacing them, this allows us to save the good parts, replace the bad ones and update the technology,” said a spokesperson for Midwest Bus. “After the initial inspection, all of the fluids need to be drained, a sample of the intentional fluids is taken and analyzed, then the old waste oil is repurposed for either burning or for reusing in our furnace and the rest of it is recycled. While that is happening, various underbody components are being removed as well as everything attached to the engine. The engine and transmission are completely taken out and power washed, removing years of grime. The engine compartment and the rest of the exterior of the bus is also power washed. The engine and transmission are then moved inside for the removal of the remaining components. It is then prepared to be returned as a core in exchange for a remanufactured engine and transmission from a factory authorized remanufacturing facility. While work is taking place in the engine, the engine compartment gets a complete overhaul. Any defects in the structure are fixed and all the old hoses and attachments are replaced with new ones. The remanufactured engine and transmission come back in like-new condition. All new components are then attached, preparing them to be reinstalled in the bus. The engine and transmission are then reinstalled into the remanufactured engine compartment and bolted into place. Different crews then start the process of remanufacturing the axles. The wheels come off and both the back and front axles are removed. The axles are completely taken apart, the old components with outdated equipment are removed. The axles are then stripped down completely and the rust and wear is removed. They are then cleaned and painted with an anti corrosion sealant. Workers install new sturdier single-ended corrosion resistant wheel hubs on the axles. The safety of riders is extremely important and it starts and ends with new technology that will improve the safety of the drive and braking systems. It is extremely important to have our highly skilled mechanics rebuilding their axles with the best equipment available. A highly skilled mechanic puts us together with an exact intolerances. While the axles are being remanufactured, the underbody and wheel wells are being prepared for the axles to be reinstalled with all new suspension and air system components. At this point, the better-than-new axles are reinstalled. While the axles are being worked on, a different crew starts removing the old and outdated wiring. They then install new wiring, update the electronics technology and install new, more efficient lighting. At the back of the bus, the air conditioning system is getting a complete upgrade and in the front, new handicapped accessible ramps are being installed. At this point, the entire interior of the bus is removed, including side panels and flooring. The floor vides are sanded down while new flooring is custom cut for the bus. Gap filers apply and the floor is carefully sanded perfectly flat, then the new flooring is installed. New updated fixtures, trim and seating are installed. One of the advantages of remanufacturing is being able to refurbish fixtures and seating that are still in good condition, while replacing those that are not. The entire exterior of the bus is sanded down and smooth including the panels that were removed. Then, the bus and panels are carefully painted to the color scheme of the client, in this case, the T. The top of the bus is painted with a thicker weather resistant coating. New windows are installed with the latest windshield technology. Exterior trim is put on and the refurbished repainted doors are reattached. Everything is polished and the front is fitted with a new bike rack brand bicycle rack. After going over the final checklist, we have a completed like-new remanufactured bus including new fasteners throughout and new driver barriers to protect the driver. Midwest Bus remanufacturing is not only cost-effective, but is also environmentally the best option.”

One thing I haven't seen is 2 type 8 cars coupled together. Has anyone seen that?

“Improvements to Suffolk Downs station will enhance the transportation experience for all of our East Boston customers,” said MBTA General Manager Philip Eng. “The station, which hasn’t had a renovation since the 1990s, is being reconstructed to meet future safety, state-of-good-repair, efficiency and resiliency requirements.” “East Boston residents will now be able to look forward to easier and improved access to the station thanks to more walkways, upgrades to existing walkways and sidewalks and a new elevator on the Wonderland-bound platform for a quick transfer to the Bowdoin-bound platform and this announcement will provide residents with a modern, safe, efficient and accessible facility for an enhanced passenger experience,” said Eng. “Track drainage infrastructure will also be upgraded to meet future flood-proof requirements in which heavy rain floods the station tracks and cause service disruptions while crews will have to pump the water out with a machine that will disrupt normal train service,” said Eng. “This is part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment program that will see non-accessible decrepit stations completely modernized and rebuilt for increased handicapped accessibility, fare collection systems upgrades and improvements to our subways, buses, commuter rail trains and ferries as well as seeing the future of the system in the next decade,” said Eng. “We’re also making improvements to the footbridge that connects both platforms for safety requirements because on March 22, 2021 the footbridge had to be closed due to serious deterioration, but the station remained open and wooden beam blocks had to be placed under it to keep it from falling on the tracks; it reopened in October 2022. The outer portion of Blue Line service had to be bused between Beachmont and Airport from May 22 to June 8, 2022, for the footbridge deck to be replaced. In order to change directions, passengers needed to hop on a Wonderland or Bowdoin-bound train and take it one stop to either Orient Heights or Beachmont in order to make the transfer. “New brighter energy-efficient lighting will also be installed on platform canopies and platforms will be completely rebuilt as well as improving and cleaning station signage,” said Eng. “These upgrades will have the following benefits of improved station accessibility, walking paths and way finding, improved safety, better reliability and better rider experience and improved connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods, including the Suffolk Downs Development,” said Eng. “We’re excited to continue the designing process, finish it by the fall and start construction by November. The station will be rebuilt between the fiscal years of 2024 and 2027.”

Earlier I said 4 01200s are being kept for strict work service. This is now true. Only Unites 01260/01261 01280/01281 are left at Wellington all others have been Scrapped.

The blue line tunnel extends a great deal past Bowden from when it used to have a portal to the street during the street car era. They park the trains in there overnight. I did a emergency training in there several years ago and the escape hatch is right by the fire department where the portal doors used to be. When I was climbing up, I saw the old hinges remained. Given all the stuff under the street now, it would be a nightmare to extend the tunnel, but they could easily open a new portal and create an elevated line to connect to MGH.

Man, I actually really like the look of the 1400s I can't get comfortable in those seats either though :/

Can you watch the art of the Boston elevated Subway? Podcast. You told a story about a man who was. About the story of the elevator. And talk to his connections and old history.

Miss the 12s... even as a light rail fanner who spends all my time filming the type 7/8s which will be wiped out when the newer type "10" super trolleys come out. Going to be depressed when the Red Line 15/16/17s get obliterated too : (

The Quincy Extension/South Shore Extension was opened on September 1, 1971, not 1975.

I have a question. Does Costello Dismantling use its own trucks, this is because I was at Wellington recording 01298/01299 being loaded on flatbed and the truck isn't Costellos. It's Regina

I couldn’t fucking sleep to the fireworks good video btw 🔥🗣️

The Red Line 01400s had no air conditioning, you have to be joking imagine if the train broke down on a hot summer day and passengers were stranded in a hot train, I’m happy I was born after the 01400s were gone, I couldn’t be in a train car with no air-conditioning. 😡🤦🏻‍♂️ Not a fun train to be inside, that’s for damn sure.

The system was expanded by the Silver Line (Waterfront), a 2004-opened bus rapid transit network using dual-mode buses (which ran as trolleybuses in a tunnel in the Seaport District of Boston before switching to diesel power to serve other destinations. The Harvard lines were converted to diesel hybrid buses in 2022, followed by the Silver Line in 2023. In 2021 the MBTA announced plans to renovate the North Cambridge Carhouse facility by 2023 to accommodate battery electric buses, eliminating trolleybus operations on all Harvard-based routes. This included shifting the North Cambridge routes to another, unelectrified garage in 2022 to permit rebuilding of North Cambridge to begin unimpeded by active operations. Trolleybus service on the last two surviving routes, 71 and 73, ended on March 12, 2022. Multiple utility and road-rebuilding projects beginning in early 2022 led MBTA to decide to substitute diesel hybrid buses for trolleybuses at that time. Until February 2006, the Silver Line also used 12 of the then-new conventional-length Neoplan trackless trolleys until the entire articulated, dual-mode fleet could be placed into service; they were temporarily “wrapped” in the Silver Line’s silver paint scheme, covering the standard MBTA yellow-and-white. Only three of the 32 dual-mode buses on order had been accepted for service by the time the Silver Line opened, but the number had increased to 28 by February 2006. In fall 2005 (five vehicles) and the first half of 2006, the 12 Neoplan trackless trolleys were transferred to the Harvard-based routes to replace the then-remaining Flyer trolleybuses operating out of North Cambridge Carhouse. Following the testing of a small number of battery buses on the line starting in July 2019, MBTA placed an order in November 2020 for 45 articulated “extended-range” diesel hybrid buses to replace the 32 dual-mode buses used on the Silver Line. Those new hybrid buses began to enter service in January 2023 and over the next several months they gradually replaced the dual-mode buses. The last day of service for any dual-mode buses and the last day of use of the overhead trolley wires, was June 30, 2023 (with the only bus in service on that date making its last trip shortly after midnight, in the first hour of July 1). The last vehicle in service operating as a trolleybus made its final trip in the first hour of July 1, at the end of the June 30 service day. Boston’s first trolleybuses were built by Pullman-Standard in 1936. The Greater Boston-area trolleybus system opened on April 11, 1936. The Boston-area trolleybus (or, as known locally, trackless trolley) system formed part of the public transportation network serving Greater Boston in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It opened on April 11, 1936, with a large network operating for the next quarter-century. Measured by fleet size, the Boston-area system was the second-largest trolleybus system in the United States at its peak (end of 1952), with only the Chicago system having more trolleybuses than Boston’s 463 (with the Atlanta system being close behind Boston, with 453). After 1963, the only remaining portion was a four-route cluster operating from the Harvard bus tunnel at Harvard station, running through Cambridge, Belmont and Watertown. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority took over the routes in 1964. It uses Parallel overhead lines, 600 V DC electrification. In its final years the network that served Cambridge and vicinity used a fleet of 28 40-foot (12 m) vehicles. The order for these was placed in December 2000, in a single contract with the vehicles for the Silver Line, but the first vehicle (4101) was not completed and delivered until 2003. Except for the first unit, these trolleybuses (numbered 4101-4128) were delivered in 2004-2005 and were the first low-floor trolleybuses in North America. The first day of service for trolleybuses in this series was June 4, 2004. The Silver Line fleet consisted of 32 60-foot (18 m) low-floor, articulated dual-mode buses (numbered 1101-1132). These were built by Neoplan USA and fitted with Skoda electrical equipment and delivered in 2004-2005. Eight of the buses (1125-1132) were funded by Massport and came equipped with luggage racks for airport passengers (and fewer seats than the other buses, 38 instead of 47), for use on route SL1, which serves Logan International Airport. In January 2011, four more buses (1121-1124) were also equipped with luggage racks in place of some seats. In January 2005 most route 77A (Harvard-North Cambridge) service was eliminated; the only remaining trips were pull-ins and pull-outs to take 71 and 73 buses to or from the Carhouse. In March 2013, route 72 trackless trolleys were replaced with diesel buses to permit roadwork on Huron Avenue and reconstruction of the Conductor’s Building in Bennett Alley. It was planned that route 72 would return to electric operation when construction was complete, but service was reduced to peak-only in December 2019 (in conjunction with improvements to routes 74 and 75 which also run on Concord Avenue) and all route 72 service was suspended indefinitely in December 2020. The MBTA introduced crosstown bus routes in 1994. The event also had other historical MBTA and non-MBTA equipment on-hand as well including RTS and TMC buses. It was called “Farewell to the Trackless Trolley Bus”. The Silver Line is Boston’s only real bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Massachusetts.

On Thursday, March 24, 2022, the MBTA Board of Directors approved a $157 million contract with New Flyer for 160 diesel-electric hybrid buses to be delivered between 2023 and 2024. The purchase will embrace the vehicles as a step along the way toward full electrification while irking transit advocates who want the agency to move away from any fossil fuel footprint. “This contract is a perfect example on how the T plans to reduce its fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emissions to provide cleaner air for the state and improve the public health of our riders and Mass residents,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “We look forward to receiving the first pilot bus next Spring.” One month before the T is set to kick off procurement of more than 400 battery electric buses, the MBTA Board of Directors voted 6-0 in favor of a contract with New Flyer of America to add dozens of 40-foot hybrid buses. The transit agency is working toward a goal of a fully electric fleet - featuring net-zero carbon emissions - by 2040, but MBTA officials say they first need to built out substantial new infrastructure to support that goal. “While the immediate procurement for you is considered the latest technology, it is a bridging technology for our planned all-battery electric bus fleet,” MBTA Director of Vehicle Engineering William Wolfgang told the T’s board on Thursday. Wolfgang said although the hybrid buses will still produce some greenhouse gas emissions, they will replace the oldest all-diesel vehicles in the fleet, leading to a net emissions decrease in the short term while work continues to convert or construct maintenance facilities that can handle fully electric vehicles. Scott Hamwey, the T’s director of bus modernization, estimated that the oldest diesel buses release 15 to 20 percent more greenhouse emissions than the newest available hybrids. Still, some transit and environmental advocates are frustrated that the T is investing new resources in vehicles that continue to spew emissions, which they warn create disproportionately negative health impacts on environmental justice communities. “It is disappointing that the T is going ahead with the purchase of 160 diesel hybrid buses,” Veena Dharmaraj, director of transportation for the Massachusetts Sierra Club, told the T’s board at the start of Thursday’s meeting. “To meet our climate goals and improve public health outcomes, I urge the T to limit and phase out the procurement of diesel hybrids by 2023.” The T will alternate between purchases of hybrid and battery electric buses, aiming to replace between 80 and 100 every year to convert the fleet of roughly 1,100 vehicles. Officials expect 2027 will be the last year in which the T needs to buy hybrid vehicles. A request for proposals for procuring more than 400 battery electric buses should be released on April 22, Wolfgang said, with the contract award planned for later in the fall. Statewide, the transportation sector accounts for roughly 42 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key target for transformation as Massachusetts works to become net-zero by 2050 as outlined in a climate law approved last year. MBTA officials have their sights set on a fully green bus fleet, but they say the transition will take time because the network is not yet positioned to support the unique needs of electric vehicles. Only one of the T’s nine maintenance facilities is currently able to house an all-electric fleet, Hamwey said and only about 3 percent of MBTA buses are electric. The T expects to finish retrofitting the North Cambridge garage to handle electric buses in 2023, then wrap up construction on a brand-new Quincy garage in 2024. That Quincy facility, for which officials broke ground last month, will replace an existing century-old garage and will have capacity for 120 battery electric buses. “Our relationship with MBTA spans 45 years having delivered over 1,000 buses to them which includes battery-electric hybrids, enhanced electric hybrids, diesel-electric hybrids, compressed natural gas and hydrogen fuel cell buses,” said Chris Stoddart, President, New Flyer of Americas, Inc, in a statement. “We’re happy to continue our long-standing partnership with MBTA to help them modernize their fleet and enhance the transit experience for its riders as well as significantly reducing its carbon and greenhouse gas emissions for a much cleaner climate.” In a presentation delivered Thursday, Hamwey said the MBTA aims to have about 30 percent of its buses be electric vehicles in 2027, more than 50 percent of the fleet electrified in 2030 and complete bus electrification by 2040. State lawmakers may opt to order a faster pace on that transition. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee Co-chair Sen. Michael Barrett said this month that his chamber’s forthcoming climate legislation will make another pass at enshrining in state law a target date for T bus electrification. “I don’t think the Legislature is going to wait 15 to 18 years to green the T fleet because we can’t get to our emissions goals, we can’t get 50 percent below 1990 levels in total statewide emissions, if we operate on those kinds of timeframes. It just doesn’t compute,” Barrett said. “I can appreciate the complexity here, but that is not going to work.” “A leader in public transit city bus manufacturing, New Flyer of America, Inc. with locations on 711 Kernaghan Avenue in Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C, CA, Park Loop Rd, Shepherdsville, Kentucky 40165, 106 National Dr. Anniston, Alabama 36207 and 6200 Glenn Carlson Dr. St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301, is a fully-integrated North American supply chain solutions provider headquartered in Camden, New Jersey. It is privately held by the Brown family since 1932, we generate more than $3.6 billion in annual revenue and employ over 17,250 associates as of 2022,” said Stoddart. “We were ranked on Dallas Business Journal as being the largest employers list public transit city bus manufacturer in North America and that’s something to be proud of.”

9:44 that looks a lot like what we got on the 1400s

The 1200s are arguably the best looking trains in my opinion. They’re also the most nostalgic for me

Good news: I spoke with an MBTA employee and he says he’s keeping two 1200s on the line as snowmobile trains

Yo you, you better fucking reply to this 💀

I was litterley at the Charles River uptil 11 PM yesterday. The first fireworks were suppose to happen at 10 but it malfunctioned and we waited for another 30 minutes. I will say this again catch the 01500s as much as you can. 1930/1931 has been delivered. I don't know when the 01500s specifically are gone but soon. By the way the 01400s at Cabot I dont think there gonna be Scrapped, its history they gotta keep it. By now Costello has cleared off the retired 15s, 16s, 17s, and 18s and 01643 preserved.

Good video! I spent a lot of time on that platform when my nephew lived in BH.

2 of the cars (prob 1222 and 1223) SAME BACKGROUND AND ETC ETC BUT LOWER PITCH ON 1!?!?1/

0:06 LOL SO FUNNY NICK LOL, SHUT THE F UP

I hate the old red line cars the new ones are w. And idk why I get the old ones.

“With the MBTA’s Board of Directors’ approval, we can now move forward with the manufacture and delivery of 80 state-of-the-art, low-floor, 40-foot battery electric buses that have improved amenities and accessibility upgrades to enhance the experience for all of our bus riders as well as being another step in our efforts to reduce the Authority’s greenhouse gas emissions around Boston, improving public health for our riders and Massachusetts residents and reaching our climate goals,”said MBTA General Manager Philip Eng. “This order includes an initial base order of 48 conventional BEBs and 32 BEBs with street-side boarding capability. We look forward to the delivery of the first 10 pre-production buses which includes (five conventional BEBs and five street-side boarding BEBs) in the summer of 2024. The remaining buses are scheduled for delivery through 2025 and the Spring of 2026, just in time for the targeted openings of the upgraded North Cambridge bus facility and the upcoming new Quincy bus facility anticipated in 2025 and 2026. With a design that is 100% complete, the renovated and modernized North Cambridge facility will be outfitted with state-of-the-art battery electric bus chargers and a control system to accommodate 32 BEBs. The new Quincy facility will provide inside storage and maintenance bays to accommodate up to 120 BEBs in a new, all-indoor, modern garage.” “This purchase is part of our critical efforts to modernize our fleet of over 1,000 buses and retire old buses that have exceeded their useful life of 12 years as well as eventually transitioning to a 100% battery-electric and zero-emission fleet by the year 2040,” said Eng. “The funding for this procurement comes in part from an unprecedented $116 million federal grant that the MBTA received in FY22 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Federal Transit Administration Low- and No-Emission Grant program. This award was the largest in the nation for this grant cycle (tied with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority) and provides a significant boost to the T’s aggressive transition toward an entirely zero-emission fleet of over 1,100 buses by 2040,” said Eng. “This procurement, which is part of the Authority’s fleet replacement plan, positions the MBTA to meet the 2022 Massachusetts Climate Law mandate, which requires us to purchase zero-emission buses only after 2029 and fully electrify its fleet by 2040.” “I would like to thank the MBTA Board of Directors for approving this contract award, our Vehicle Engineering and Vehicle Procurement teams for their hard work on this project, our Bus Modernization team for their diligent work in supporting the T’s fleet and facilities transition to BEBs and our Finance team for their work in securing federal funding for this procurement last summer,” said MBTA General Manager Philip Eng. “These buses will come equipped with flip-up seats, accessibility features and dual-sided passenger information screens. There will also be options for advanced driver safety assistance systems and on-board LCD passenger information screens. The BEBs will also have street-side capability equipment for them to serve the Harvard busway and the street-side boarding buses will include an additional accessibility ramp located at the rear street-side door. The 40-foot New Flyer BEBs will have a range of 120 miles and feature industry-leading safety features. They will also have the ability to monitor the BEB high voltage battery systems and provide early fault detection. Other features include an enhanced security barrier for bus operators and ADA accommodations that meet or exceed federal requirements.” “The new buses will replace the MBTA’s aging 2008-2009 New Flyer Emissions Controlled Diesel (ECD) fleet and the recently retired 2004 Neoplan Electric Trolley Bus (ETB) fleet,” said Eng. “The total contract amount awarded today to New Flyer of America, Inc. is $119,087,982.”

Y E E T

ooh hey a water bottle *crinkile* (chucks) *clickchaclkk*

“We’re excited to be able to celebrate another fully-accessible Commuter Rail station for 2024’s end,” said MBTA General Manager Philip Eng. “In January 2021, we closed the station due to serious safety concerns. The station, which hasn’t had a major reconstruction since the 1950s, was in a state of disrepair.” “The station will be completely upgraded to meet future accessibility and safety standards. That includes major structural repairs to station platforms, canopies and staircases to access the station. During construction, Winchester Center station will be permanently closed to Lowell Line passengers until further notice. I know passengers are disappointed because this will add to their travel time, but we’re having riders use Wedgemere station as an alternative while construction and this is critical to improving the passenger experience and providing Winchester residents with a fully-accessible, safe, easier-to-access, energy-efficient and modern facility,” said Eng. “We’ve finished demolition of the old Winchester Center station and began construction of a new station in the Spring of 2022.” “I’m happy that the town of Winchester has provided enough funding for a new, modern and fully-accessible station for our riders and residents,” said Winchester Mayor Russell Gordon-Smith. “I look forward to the opening of the first segment of the new station this September and full opening to Commuter Rail Lowell Line passengers in December.” “To make the station meet accessibility requirements, we will install new high-level platforms that allow for easy, improved and safer boarding and exiting. The platforms will also accommodate longer, nine-car trains to increase station capacity,” said Eng. “This work includes reconstructing access ramps and adding new elevators for better accessibility, canopies, signs, railings and lighting will be upgraded for increased safety and security which is both a high priority for improved passenger experience, benches, bike racks, a public address system and other amenities for comfort and convenience will also be added and walkways, sidewalks and parking lot areas will be upgraded for easier and improved access to the station.” “All Lowell Line trains will bypass the station in both directions and not stop there,” said Eng. “MBTA work crews prepared the site around the current station for construction during the week of March 28, 2022. Construction of the new station began on June 30, 2022, with demolition of the existing station commencing the summer.” “In April 2022, all parking at Laraway Road and directly adjacent to the station was removed. These parking areas will not be available for the duration of construction. Portions of Water field and Laraway lots will be unavailable during construction. Parking will be temporarily displaced on Waterfield Road, adjacent to Laraway Road, in order to accommodate a temporary crosswalk. There will also be occasional parking and traffic impacts at Waterfield Road during construction,” said Eng. “Construction will take place on the Winchester Station bridge over Waterfield Road to install steel beams. There will be lane closures and intermittent traffic breaks. Construction will take place on weekends for the entire month of June. Work will include staging of concrete trucks and granite stone, platform, guardrail and electrical installations. Preparations included surveys of the area, fence installation around the work site, placement of vibration monitors and pest management, among other activities. Carpentry work will take place on the Winchester Station viaduct from 7 AM to 3 PM on December 2, December 9 and December 16, 2023.”

Red Is My Favorite Line Of The MBTA.

The plastic family tree is angry now

That water bottle yuh chucked should’ve stole it

Can you watch the Boston elevated Subway and the Arts it brings so much history about the Boston elevated when I was around in a kid from when it was still up and running

4 years later the documentary drop an indoor for years your channel grow from 900 subscriber than 2022 2k today in 2024

First video after the hour-long documentary congratulations and how far you've grown and how you spend all those hours in those documentary series and finding a community that likes to 12 and the classics🎉🎉🎉

MPI basically upgraded the two locomotives to MBTA specifications and repainted them to their colors, which are purple white and black to get them ready for MBTA passenger service.

I strongly disagree with your take on the CRRC 1400 Orange Lines. I definitely agree that the seats could use improvement, and the yellow ends were a bad choice. However, I think the interiors look bright, spacious, and modern. The exterior shape, I think, is a gradual change from the shape of the 1200s (with the hump in the middle) to a shape that's wide at the bottom and narrows toward the top (like the Metro in Washington, DC, or like the tube trains in London). Not my favorite, but not as stark of a difference as you make it sound. The silver stainless steel look of the exterior is a step in the direction of uniformity with the 700 Blue Lines and the 1800 (and 1900) Red Lines, which have all stepped away from the white style like the 600 Blue lines, 1200 Orange, and 1500-1700 Red. Again, this is purely my personal opinion, but I really like the black fronts as well, and I think that it is the cherry on top of a modern-looking subway car when paired with LED headlights (another example of this is the 7000 series cars in DC, one of my favorite subway cars). In conclusion, I think you give the 1400 Orange Line cars an unfair amount of hate. Sure, they aren't the best looking subway cars ever produced, but they are certainly far from the worst.

MPI MP36PH-3C Manufacturer: MotivePower, Incorporated Years constructed: 2010 Entered service: 2011 Refurbished: 2021-2024 Numbers: 010, 011 On June 2, 2010, continuing the Patrick-Murray Administration’s commitment to strengthening transit service throughout the Commonwealth, the MassDOT Board of Directors approved the purchase and/or lease of up to nine new commuter rail locomotives from the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). Once purchased and made ready for passenger service, this investment will mark the first time in 17 years that new locomotives will pull MBTA commuter rail trains. This is part of the authority’s and Mass Governor Deval Patrick’s efforts to improving service reliability for the thousands of commuter rail customers who ride the rails to work or for travel every day. Seeking to take advantage of UTA’s surplus of new locomotives, the MBTA is negotiating with UTA to determine the exact number to be procured and through what process (lease, purchase, or combination). Built in compliance with MBTA requirements, the new locomotives are ‘Commuter Rail-ready’ and will be in passages service by this fall. The new engines are 3600 horse power, diesel-electric locomotives. The T said that these two locomotives were never used on UTA. The MBTA said it had an option on UTA’s original 2005 procurement, the general construction of the locomotives is compliant with the MBTA’s needs and requirements. The locomotives are a variant of MPI’s MPXpress series of diesel-electric passenger locomotives, which are in service on various commuter rail systems in the U.S. and Canada. The purchase cost for each locomotive is $3.5 million, which includes the modifications necessary to ensure that each locomotive is ready for immediate entry into the MBTA service fleet. The benefits of a new fleet would result in immediate: - Improved reliability and on-time performance - Powerful locomotives can move large train sets running on high volume lines - More fuel efficient - Decreased emissions - Provides MBCR personnel with time necessary to make repairs/upgrades to older locomotives. The new engines, compared to the older vehicles in the fleet, would burn less fuel and emit lower levels of nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. It’s estimated the T will save about $78,000 annually per locomotive because the new engines burn 36,500 fewer gallons of fuel each year. Employing new technology that makes the engines more fuel efficient and prevents unnecessary idling, the new locomotives reduce nitrogen oxide levels by 38 1/2 tons per engine annually. Whether acquired through purchase or lease, Utah Transit Authority will deliver all of the locomotives to the MBTA by the fall. All but 20% of the purchase will be funded by federal grants. On February 7, 2011, as part of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s focus on the whole Commonwealth and commitment to improving customer service in transportation, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray joined commuter rail riders and MassDOT and MBTA transportation officials on an inaugural ride from Worcester to Boston board a new commuter rail locomotive. The locomotives are state-of-the-art and mark the first time in over two decades that new locomotives will join the MBTA’s commuter rail fleet. The cost is $7 million. In addition, in June 2010, the MassDOT Board of Directors approved the purchase of an additional 20 new locomotives from Motive Power, Inc. of Boise, Idaho at a cost of $114 million. The additional 20 new locomotives will be brought into service in 2013 and replace the 20 oldest, non-environmentally-friendly and most unreliable units in the fleet. “We are making efficient, strategic transportation investments that focus on the needs of customers who depend on the rail system to get to work each day,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “A dependable transit system is vital to our entire region,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. “These new locomotives are both more fuel efficient and more reliable, improving on-time performance for the benefit of our customers.” The two new locomotives new engines burn less fuel and emit lower levels of nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. “Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray have a proven commitment to improving the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure after years of neglect and these first new locomotives in more than 20 years are a great example of that commitment,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jeffrey Mullan. “The addition of new locomotives to the fleet brings immediate benefits to our customers and the environment,” said MBTA General Manager Richard Davey. “Improved on time performance, energy efficiency and an overall improvement to the customer’s commuting experience are all positives to be applauded.” The MBTA commuter rail fleet is operated under a contract with MBCR, the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company. The fleet consists of 410 coaches including 140 bi-level and 270 single-level coaches and 80 locomotives. The fleet ranges in age from seven to 29 years. Commuter rail service carries approximately 148,000 customers round-trip each weekday. The other locomotive, No. 011, entered service on February 14th. On January 14, 2021, the two MP36 locomotives were added to the additional 27 F40 locomotives overhaul contract by Motive Power, Inc. The two locomotives left with F40s, 1052 and 1062 in late January. They were finally received by MPI in mid-August 2021 and brought into the shop to begin overhaul work. 010 was originally expected to return to Boston in January 2022, with 011 returning by June 2022. However, due to a strike at WABTEC in Erie, PA in September 2023, the units would ship to Boston next year. As of June 2024, both locomotives had not been shipped to Boston yet and MBTA was planning on selling them to another railroad after they are rebuilt since there are only two of them. Now, MP36PH-3C locomotives are expected to be completed in 2025 when all of the F40PH-3C rebuilds are completed. MPI produced five models of the MPXpress: MP36PH-3C, MP40PH-3C, MP54AC, MP36PH-3S and MP32PH-Q. A month after MBTA installed both of their units into revenue service, MARC in Maryland finished acquiring their own units Nos. 10-35, for a total of 26, to replace their GP40WH-2s of which four were sold to MBTA in the same month and year until 2012 to prevent a locomotive shortage there.

That's violation throwing plastic, Dexter is the witness.

Why has it take so damn long the MBTA to extend the blue line to Lynn? It’s the shortest line by far. It could also extend it to Chelsea. At least they’re connecting it to Charles MGH for the redline.

Why is the MBTA not using federal funds to buy equipment? Cost per coach: $4,314,830.74, including FORTY MILLION DOLLARS FOR AN ENGINEERING COMPANY TO SUPERVISE THE CONTRACT, aka $500k per car! If these puppies are being built in Korea we should be paying a lower price. [Edit] >40% US Pete, which is good I guess. This is a no-bid single-source contract?? This is terrible. At these prices they should remanufacture the existing fleet & keep it around indefinitely for trains carrying < 1000 passengers. That $40 million for the engineering firm is for the entire program over 10 years - minimum 180 potentially 280 coaches. The professional services shown in the 80 coach budget on slide 12. If you’re comparing apples-to-apples the actual per-car cost being paid to Rotem is $278.6 million over 80 coaches or just under $3.5 million compared to the just over $2.5 million when the first contract for 75 coaches at $190.2 million was awarded in 2008. Using a 3% cost increase per year for 11 years comes out to $263.3 million, which is pretty much in-line with the new price plus $15.3 million for whatever small adjustments the MBTA and Rotem made and agreed to. In the limited time searching I couldn’t find the total program cost from 2008 to get the all-in coach cost to compare to the $4.3 million. So I would say the cost of the coaches are comparable to what was paid in 2008. At $1.65 million for a 5-7 year overhaul let single-level coach shown on slide 7, as a tax-payer I would much rather pay basically twice that for a new vehicle with more seating and a service life of 30-40 years with proper maintenance. The FMCB presentation says that of the initial 80 cars, 31 will be control coaches and 31 will be trailers. No mention of lavatories, but I would assume the trailers will have lavs as the current 800s do but the 1800s do not. It also notes two decommissioned coaches (1812 and 1827?) and 16 others to support South Coast Rail will be included.

Of the $345 million for the new cars: $8,303,289 is for Professional services, $5,415,984 is for Force account, $6,318,648 is for Project administration, $7,823,088 is for Indirect and $38,736,450 is for Unallocated contingency (material & project). This procurement will be 100% state funded by additional funds from Administration & Finance. Benefits of near reproduction of current bi-level fleet include: - Reduced risks due to familiarization with proven manufacturing and engineering design - Minimal operating and maintenance training required - Latest procurement (FC-668) met all FRA requirements - Minimal design impact - Guaranteed compatibility with the existing fleet. - Final testing and acceptance of completed production coaches will be performed on MBTA property. - Improvements include: - Positive Train Control (PTC) - LED lighting - Pilot upgrades - Vendor product improvements - Benefits of bi-level coaches: - Most efficient way to add capacity - Compatible with current fleet and infrastructure - Ease of maintenance/experienced workforce - Does not preclude procurement of different vehicles/technology Expedited Delivery of Pilot & Production Coaches - Targeted qualification testing of new systems only (PTC, LED lighting, etc.) - Assembly of all vehicles will be in South Korea to expedite delivery of coaches - HR has committed to utilizing significant U.S. content in the fabrication of these vehicles: - 49% for Control Trailer Coaches (CTC) - 47% for Blind Trailer Coaches (BTC) - Will allow the replacement of 62 MBB coaches that were originally scheduled for retirement in 2013 (per the MBTA Railroad Operations Equipment Asset Inventory May 2012 draft) Justification: - In the public interest to avoid delay of a traditional procurement - All non-federal funds - Satisfies the expected increase in ridership - Only manufacturer currently capable of delivering a bi-level coach to our specification - Price offered is fair and reasonable - minimal operating and maintenance training required - Meets all FRA requirements - Standardizes vehicle configuration with legacy bi-levels - Production line availability - Reduce Professional Services cost Due Diligence Conducted in the Vehicle Manufacturing Industry: - Issued RFI - Collected industry feedback from Car Builders/Suppliers - Conducted Car Builder Interviews - Evaluated current procurements from other Authorities, including availability of options Immediate Need: - Expedite replacement of oldest, unreliable, aging fleet - System expansion scheduled for 2023 - South Coast Rail - No other vehicles available sooner - Data-Driven Decision: - Ridership increased by 21.2% between 2012 and 2018 - Planned highway construction projects mean increased demand - Replacement single level with bi-levels increases seating capacity - Cost on overhauling existing 20 MBB single level coaches is $33.05M with limited service life extension of 5-7 years - The Commuter Rail Bi-Level Coach procurement will replace the current 260 single-level coaches (Pullman, MBB, Bombardier) that are overdue for retirement - The current single-level fleet has seating capacities ranging from 94-127 seats. - Bi-Level Coaches are being procured to improve reliability and increase current capacity. - The Authority’s bi-level fleet has seating capacities ranging from 173-185 seats. Phase 1A EPMS support of a sole-source procurement of 80 Bi-Level Coaches from HR which will yield the the following benefits: limited design review, supervision or production and accelerated vehicle level testing, streamlined commissioning and warranty support - Institute lessons learned from previous contract - FRA Compliant - Limited design impact - Guaranteed compatibility with the existing fleet - Reduced requirements for training of transportation & maintenance staff - Expedited delivery of pilot & production coaches (receive first 16 units needed for South Coast Rail by December 2022) Phase 2 EPMS support (post-NTP) of additional Bi-Level Coach Procurement - Complete design and drawing reviews - First Article Inspections (FAIs) - Pilot coach qualification, testing and inspection of vehicle systems - In-plant supervision of production and vehicle level testing - Local vehicle commissioning support - Manuals and Training Curriculum approval - Warranty and reliability support Phase 1 EPMS support in preparation for an additional Bi-Level Coach Procurement - Prepare and issue a Request For Proposals/Technical Specification for up to 200 Bi-Level Commuter Rail Coaches including options - Provide bid support through supplier selection, including Request For Clarification responses, Addenda, technical evaluation and participate in supplier interviews - Prepare final selection documentation for presentation to MBTA senior management in support of Notice To Proceed New Award: Program Support Vehicle Engineering requests the award of Contract No. V61PS05 - Engineering and Program Management Services for the Commuter Rail Bi-Level Coach Procurement. - Selection Committee unanimously selected WSP USA Inc. as the most qualified candidate - Estimated 10-year contract from Notice to Proceed (NTP) - WSP USA Inc. has provided support to the MBTA on previous commuter rail coach procurement contracts over the last three decades and maintains a broad and deep team of technical, management and procurement experts - Timeline to Date: - Request for Qualification Issued: - Request for Proposals Received: - Interviews with Qualified Teams: - Notification of Selection: - Negotiations with Selected Team: - The scope of work includes specification and RFP development, supplier selection, design, qualification, commissioning, warranty and integration of the new Commuter Rail Bi-Level Coaches into the existing fleet Reliability Impact: Single-Level Coaches - Single-level coaches have provided over 30 years of passenger service for the Commuter Rail. The degradation of these aging coaches continues to provide challenges to the Commuter Rail maintenance department: - Increased maintenance costs - Decreased reliability, adversely impacting daily coach availability - Increased component obsolescence 53 200s, 31 1500s, 31 500s, 40 300s, 53 600s and 52 1600s are active. Total seats: 200s 6,042, 2,914 1500s, 2,976 500s, 300s 5,080, 6,466 600s and 6,344 1600s. The coaches range in age from between 30 and 40 years. The 200s had an overhaul 24 years ago when rebuilt from BTC-1 and CTC-1 coaches to BTC-1C coaches in 1995-96. The 300s were originally scheduled for retirement in 2015, followed by the 200s, 600s and 1600s in 2020. - The single-level fleet will continue to age and result in reduced reliability, increased cost of maintenance and operations and will result in decreased availability for service needs.

MBTA’s Green Line Trains Are Getting A Complete Revamp August 31, 2022 The MBTA’s Green Line, despite all of its reliability issues and derailments in recent years, will change for the better in the next five years as the MBTA Board of Directors today approved an $811 million contract with CAF USA Inc. to deliver over 100 new Green Line trains which would be nearly twice as long as the existing trains running and have “seven module” articulated sections. The MBTA said today that the new Type 10 supercars will have increased capacity, safety, comfortability, serviceability and accessibility. The current Green Line cars, the T said, were put into service between 1986 and 2008, which makes some of them 36 years old. Newer cars were put into service in 2019, according to officials. The Type 7 cars all received major rehabilitation work by Alstom in Hornell, N.Y., between 2014 and 2019, to extend their service life another decade and fill in the gap for the nearly 20-year-old Bredas until the Type 10s are delivered, so they can finally be replaced along with the Type 8s, said MBTA officials. “We’re trying to make the commuting experience better for Green Line passengers and the award of this contract is a significant milestone in achieving that goal,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “The cars will be more modern and more rider-attractive for the public.” The new cars will also be more efficient, have an ease in maintenance due to the improved design and run better than the existing cars. MBTA will also significantly reduce derailments and breakdowns because the new trains will have a derailment-safety system that prevents collisions or derailments and better service range for increased serviceability. The presentation was made by the MBTA’s Capital Transformation and Vehicle Engineering teams for the contract award. “The Green Line is the oldest and heavily used light rail system in the country, opening its first section on September 1, 1897, the “first subway rapid transit line in all of North America,”” said Poftak. “In 2019, the year before the pandemic, the Green Line had an average daily weekday ridership of 137,700, making it the third-most heavily used light rail system in the country.” The total budget of the procurement is $810,925,658 and includes the manufacture and delivery of 102 new Type 10 Light Rail Vehicles, associated tools, testing, training, materials, equipment, services and more. The new LRVs are in the procurement phase with the design phase scheduled to begin in fall 2022. The Supercars will be in design for a few years before pilot vehicles are introduced to the system. Capital Transformation follows a holistic approach to transforming the Green, Orange and Red Lines. The program is aligned by multiple Levels of Transformation: Improving Safety & Bringing Infrastructure into a State of Good Repair, Enhancing Accessibility, Replacing Legacy Fleets, Increasing Passenger Capacity, Modernizing Rider Experience and Expanding Service. The first four pilot vehicles are scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2026 and two LRVs will be delivered per month starting in spring of 2027 until the spring of 2031. The new Supercars will employ the latest generation of crash-safety technology, which will create a safer environment for both operators and riders. The design includes a closed operator’s cab with increased visibility, which eliminates the likelihood of extraneous distractions and improves the safety for everyone on board. The procurement of the new Type 10 vehicle fleet is a keystone project in the Green Line Transformation Program’s larger portfolio to help achieve improvements in four levels of transformation, including improving the safety and state of good repair, increasing accessibility, replacing legacy vehicles and increasing rider capacity. This provides an opportunity for significant improvements to the Green Line and its riders. Jeffrey Gonneville, MBTA’s Deputy General Manager, said: “This highlights an incredible moment for the Green Line and riders through increased safety, comfort, efficiency, capacity, accessibility and maintenance benefits. There will be wider door openings for easier passenger flow. Stairs will be eliminated for 100% low-floor passenger entry and improving accessibility for riders. Additional accessibility improvements include bridge plates at all double-leaf doors to assist with boarding and four priority areas in the vehicles for passengers using wheeled mobility devices. The supercars also feature state-of-the-art technology and enhanced communication systems, including audiovisual information screens for improved passenger way finding and overall customer experience.” Lake Street, Cleveland Circle and Riverside Yards will have to be fully reconstructed, upgraded and expanded to support Type 10 vehicles, which will be 40 feet longer than the current Green Line trains in use today. “The Green Line Transformation Program is gaining speed and getting a lot of positive feedback for our riders and we look forward to the future of the line as well as achieving our goals of providing the best service possible for our customers,” said Poftak. “This is a huge step in our efforts to improve service on the line and make the system more modern, more customer-friendly and safe.” “We want to have safe, reliable and modern public transportation in the city and this contract demonstrates the MBTA’s effort to achieve that goal,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m overfilled with joy of the help we have gotten from the federal government, the state of Massachusetts and leaders at the MBTA to making fully accessible public transportation a reality. It’s a big deal and all the support we’ve received from everyone, we all deserve a round of applause.” This is all part of the MBTA’s $8 billion, five-year capital investment plan that began back on July 1, 2018 and includes renovating stations, replacing legacy fleets of rolling stock, modernizing fare gates and fare control, replacing tracks, upgrading signals, expanding maintenance facilities, upgrading rail yards as well as building new Orange, Green and Red Line Substations. The new supercars will replace existing Type 7 and Type 8 streetcars, some of which have been rolling on the Green Line since 1986, officials said in a press statement. When the new cars are delivered, the Type 9 fleet will be transferred over to the Ashmont/Mattapan High Speed Line, replacing the World War II-era PCC streetcars. CAF also built the MBTA’s last order of 24 Type 9 light rail vehicles which provide service on the new GLX and was a small order to provide just enough headways on the extension. They didn’t replace any of the existing fleet and the T needed all three of them.

Rest In Peace The 1200s

That GP horn is loud

If Bombardier or Siemens made the new model to replace the 1200-1300s fleet we wouldn't have this problem

It’s a shame that my second favorite color (that being Green) gets the worst T-Line while my favorite color (yellow) doesn’t even get a line.

ORANGE LINE

CHANGE HERE FOR THE ORANGE LINE!

Hyundai Rotem Co. (Korean: RR: Hyeondae Rotem) is a South Korean company that manufactures rolling stock, defense products and plant equipment. It is a part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Its name was changed from a Rotem to Hyundai Rotem in December 2007 to reflect the parent company. It is also called Hyundai Railroad Technology Systems. The headquarters is in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. It’s a public company. From 1999 until 2002, it was called Korea Rolling Stock Corporation and Rotem, or Railroad Technology System from 2002 until 2007. It was founded on July 1, 1977 and predecessors were Hyundai Precision & Industry, Daewoo Heavy Industries and Hanjin Heavy Industries. It is served worldwide and key people is Lee Yong-bae (CEO). Their products are manufacturing plants, military vehicles and railway vehicles. Owner is Hyundai Motor Company (33.77%), National Pension Service (6.97%), Employee stock ownership (0.34%) and other (0.01%). HR has a total of 3,800 employees. Subsidiary is EUROTEM. “We won the first contract from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in 2008 for 75 new bi-level coaches. At the time, the first delivery was scheduled for late 2010 with full order completed by 2012, but due to chronic delays, shoddy workmanship, material shortage and the death of Hyundai Rotem’s chief executive, M.H. Lee, in November 2012, only four of the 75 cars were delivered to MBTA by the end of 2012,” said a spokesperson for Hyundai Rotem. “The cars were built at a facility in South Philadelphia, PA and the construction of it was part of the delays and the facility wasn’t fully operational until the end of 2008.” “We built the facility to meet “Made in America requirements,””said a representative for Hyundai-Rotem. “All future subway car or commuter rail coach orders from Rotem will be entirely built in Changwon, South Korea at Masan Port.” On August 28, 2018, after 10 years of operations and completing the Denver order, the South Korean company pulled its last staff from its 300,000-square-foot factory on Weccacoe Avenue in South Philly, following a debate that nearly crippled SEPTA two summers ago and ending a 10-year run in the city. Besides making new commuter rail coaches for Boston, the company has also had contracts to produce railcars to Hyderabad Metro and Istanbul Marmaray, the Istanbul contract was for the supply of the rolling stock for the Marmaray cross-Bosporus tunnel project in Istanbul. Of which all cars from both contracts have already been delivered and are in successful revenue service in the two metro systems. Hyundai-Rotem also built Metrolink’s fleet of 137 Rotem Commuter Cars (called the “Guardian Fleet”). The MBTA’s cars are BTC-5 (Blind Trailer Coach) - coaches with 179 seats and capacity for 225 and CTC-5 (Control Trailer Coach) - coaches with 173 seats and capacity for 215. The MBTA’s Rotem cab cars and blind trailers are both equipped with (Nathan Raised Letter K3H horns). Hyundai Rotem exports to 50 countries worldwide. “With a revenue of 3.1633 trillion as of 2022, Hyundai Rotem is a leader global manufacturer of push-pull commuter rail cars, trams and light rail vehicles, high speed rail trains, diesel multiple units, electric multiple units, metro cars, electric locomotives and diesel-electric locomotives,” said Lee Yong-bae, President and CEO, Hyundai-Rotem, South Korea. “Hundreds and thousands of these types of vehicles are either on order or in successful revenue service in various transit systems across the world.” “In 2019, we received a $278.5 million contract (334 billion yen Korean won) from MBTA to produce 80 new bi-level commuter rail coaches which would replace single-level coaches operating on the Boston commuter rail network and expand capacity by more than 14,000 seats every day,” he said. “Our 16-year partnership with MBTA reflects that they really trust our products to modernize their commuter rail fleet and replace old decrepit rolling stock and we can’t wait to get more coach orders from them in the future. On May 23, 2024, we received an order for 41 additional Blind Trailer Coaches and are on track to deliver them in mid-2026.” In 2019, when Hyundai Rotem received the order, the company said in a statement that it had delivered over 1,000 cars to U.S. railway systems since it entered the market in 1980. The coaches are being fully assembled in South Korea and funded 100% with state funds. The order was later revised to 83 coaches (43 cab cars and 40 coaches, with restrooms). The first batch of coaches arrived in the United States to undergo inspection, testing and training in June 2022. The full order will be completed in 2024. The MBTA said it has an immediate need for new coaches to allow replacement of the oldest and most decrepit of the aging single-level fleet and purchase additional vehicles for fleet expansion and capacity for future highway projects and South Coast Rail which will all drive demand. “We went again with Hyundai Rotem because they built the last order of 75 double-deckers which were delivered six years ago and are among the youngest compared to a fleet of 53 cars built in 1978-79 by the Pullman company,”said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “The new bi-levels will be the same as the current double-deckers in our fleet, we note the additional benefits include a workforce familiarity with the design; minimal operating and maintenance training required; guaranteed compatibility with the existing fleet and minimal design impacts.” “The new coaches will be compatible with the Commuter Rail’s existing trains and infrastructure,” said Poftak. The Rotem coaches are more reliable and offer and much smoother and quieter ride than the aging single-levels. They have various accessibility improvements and modern upgrades such as possible train control, LED lighting, new comfortable leather seats, four flip up seats in the mezzanine area so there will be three levels of passenger seating (lower, middle and upper), include an ease of maintenance and USB charging ports that are at seated level rather than low to the ground to make charging phones, laptops or computers more efficient and safer for riders. 62 aging single-level coaches are either overdue for retirement or are scheduled to be retired in 2020 and the main focus of the board’s presentation on Monday 09/23/2019 are the single-level coaches which make up 260 of its total fleet of 474, according to the presentation. In addition to the order of 80 new cars, the MBTA has also requested bids for manufacturers to build an additional 100 double-deckers this fall and award a contract in November 2020. Following the singing, the MBTA hopes it will receive the first coaches in July 2024 and the last coaches by June 2027. The T also said that 181 bi-level coaches would need to be bought in order to make up the equivalent capacity and allow retirement of all remaining active single-level coaches. In July 2018, the MBTA began planning for a new coach procurement. In February 2019, the MBTA announced that it wanted to purchase around 180-220 new bi-level coaches which would replace all existing active single-level coaches. The T issued request for proposals to potential manufacturers and receive feedback before issuing a contract. On July 20, 2019, MBTA announced that it would be going again with Rotem not Kawasaki because of the expertise the company gained in its first contract with MBTA in 2008 even with the manufacturing delays. While the total cost of this vehicle procurement is $278.5 million, the total project budget is $345.2 million, which includes professional services, force account, project administration and more with funding being provided by the commonwealth. The Notice to Proceed for the sole-source procurement of 80 coaches was issued in October 2019. The order was approved by the FMCB on Monday, September 23, 2019. The coaches will minimize required operation and maintenance training. Recent studies have shown an increase in commuter rail ridership, which will be further impacted when South Coast Rail comes online and by multiple MassDOT highway projects that are scheduled soon. MBTA explains as part of the procurement and vehicle implementation, coach vehicles will be replaced in steps. The first step addresses the immediate need for new coaches, which MBTA says is best accomplished through this sole-source contract with Hyundai-Rotem, expediting the replacement of the oldest, more unreliable of the aging fleet as well as supporting South Coast Rail’s system expansion. The second step is a competitively bid procurement for up to 100 bi-level coaches, plus options. While addressing current needs, this procurement does not preclude the MBTA from choosing a different commuter rail vehicle type in the future. The future of the MBTA’s commuter rail system continues to be studied as part of Rail Vision, which identifies cost-effective strategies to transform the existing network that best supports improved mobility and economic competitiveness in Greater Boston. Rail Vision is currently exploring scenarios for how future commuter rail service could operate, including enhancement in vehicle technology. A $41 million contract for engineering and program management services for the project was also awarded to WSP USA Inc., in close cooperation with Keville Enterprises, Inc. and VP Engineering, Inc. Hyundai-Rotem began marketing commuter rail cars in 2006 to compete with rail car manufacturers in North America against established manufacturers like Bombardier Transportation and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company. Rotem Commuter Cars are a series of bi-level or multi-level passenger rail cars for commuter rail operations manufactured by Hyundai-Rotem.