Report: Orange Line Fleet Hasn't Been Overhauled in 30 Years

The next time you find yourself stranded on an Orange Line or Red Line train platform tweet-cursing a message to #mbtafail you can take heart in knowing that the continuous problem with slow or stalled service has been identified.

It was revealed yesterday that aging subway cars on those two lines are responsible for longer waits and more frequent service interruptions, according to an article in Thursday’s Boston Globe. And the results of an-depth report contend it will take $100 million to upgrade the train cars until $1 billion is available to replace them.

Subway cars are expected to last about 25 years and are supposed to have a service overhaul mid-life, the Globe article said. Orange Line cars were built in 1979 and 1981 and have never been overhauled, the article said.

Commuters daily voice their frustration with all MBTA service by tweeting messages. Some add hashtags, such as “#mbtafail” to their tweets so others can easily follow problems as they happen.

Tweets such as “I am coming dangerously close to having a commute-related, rage-filled meltdown. #mbtafail”  from fabredhead and “(Boston) Red Line hotter than hell, compliments of the MBTA. It's bad when the stations are cooler than the subway cars. Thanks. #mbtafail” from SteveStearns are common.

But fret not. It was also announced yesterday that Google has launched a new app that will allow you to track MBTA trains and buses so you won’t be surprised when service is delayed.

And just last week . So the question now is how many MBTA flip-flops or transit token necklaces do they have to sell to raise a billion dollars?

Read the full Boston Globe report, "T Cars Need Immediate $100m in Upgrades," at Boston.com.