MBTA "Transformation" (Green Line, Red Line, & Orange Line Transformation Projects)

Everything with this round of stations (GLX, the 14 B and C stops, the 5 D stops, and the planned E stops) is all provisioned for easy conversion for higher platforms for Type 10s. The current order of Type 10 cars only provides for single-car trains (113' long) which can be done fairly cheaply within existing platform lengths everywhere. Remove about 150' of existing platform, add 125' of higher platform plus ramps. With good planning, you can probably blitz the conversion of an entire line in two weeks (or use temporary wooden platforms at some stops during conversion). By far the hardest part - getting enough width to have a compliant accessible platform in the first place - is already being done with these current projects. The initial Type 10 modifications are much simpler (and pretty cheap) with that in place.

Going up to 2-car trains will be where it gets tricky, and I suspect that most stations will not be modified for that until they actually commit to buying enough cars for that. You need about 260' including the ramps at the ends, which is longer than some current stops. To their credit, the MBTA clearly is thinking about this. They've explicitly called out B and C stops (Blandford, BC, St Marys, Coolidge, Washington Square, Cleveland Circle) that will need major work/relocation, and are apparently considering converting at least some B stops to island platforms that would be wider than the existing side platforms. There's a few others (Harvard Avenue and Chiswick Road off the top of my head) that will need a bit of lengthening as well, but likely not major relocation.

The Central Subway will be fine - the shortest platform is Boylston NB at 250'. GLX is 225' platforms that can largely be raised in place, and they were explicitly provisioned for lengthening to 300' if needed anyway. Three of the E surface stops are fine, and those under design now will be presumably long enough as well. Brigham Circle will need reconfigured (which will hopefully improve on those super-narrow platforms), and Heath Street will of course need to be completely replaced. On the D, all but two stops have plenty of room. At Riverside, they'll probably have to replace the Grove Street bridge with a wider span to extend the platforms east. At Reservoir, they'll need to reconfigure the yard leads (moving the tracks over using the space currently occupied by the snowplow siding) and remove or reconfigure the "cripple track" on the south side of the tracks.
 
Isn’t it 6 D line stops? Waban, Eliot, Newton Highlands, Chestnut Hill, Beaconsfield and Brookline Hills?
Whoops, you're correct. I forgot about Brookline Hills, and Amory Street and Babcock Street on the B. Same commentary applies to all three of those.
 

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