New MBTA Orange Line Trains Hit Tracks

BOSTON — Make way for the shiny new Orange Line. Revamped train cars have a new security system, new-style seating and digital signs. The new trains will also arrive at stations every 4 to 4 1/2 minutes, according to officials. After a few delays, the first new trains were put in service Wednesday.

Gov. Charlie Baker, Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack and MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak are set to introduce the six new Orange Line train cars being put into service. After the ceremony at Wellington Station look for the trains to roll out sometime Wednesday afternoon.

The trains were praised as modern-looking with more space inside, wider doors, LCD screens and more handrails.

The MBTA ordered 252 new Red Line cars and 152 new Orange Line cars (up from 120 Orange Line cars previously) as it attempts to reduce breakdowns and delays. The Orange Line cars were supposed to be the first to be introduced to passenger service in January, although Green Line made it to the track first earlier this year instead. Another few trains are set to hit the tracks in September. MBTA officials expect to have a completely new Orange Line fleet by the end of 2022. The Red Line fleet replacement is expected to be completed by 2023. The two projects will add a total of around 85,000 seats to the transit network.

The cost of the Red and Orange Line improvement program? It's part of the MBTA’s $8 billion, 5-year capital investment plan which will completely rebuild the Orange Line. The Orange Line Improvement Program includes infrastructure improvements, signal upgrades, and the complete replacement of the Orange Line car fleet.

The last time there was such a significant change in MBTA history may have been the late '80s when the Orange Line's Elevated Rail (folks used to call it the El) was taken down.

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Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).