New Red and Orange Line Cars

Definitely accurate that not all of this is within CRRC's control.

However, I still think we are being too soft on them with regard to some of the other problems that have gone on specifically as it relates to the Springfield factory and delays that have happened over there. Just my opinion.
At least according to what I've heard from Eng in interviews, the MBTA is being tougher on them in other ways. MBTA has used some authority to have tougher oversight over the factory. They've fixed some QC protocols. Stuff like that. Being tougher in those ways hopefully gets us the new trains as soon as possible.

As for paying CRCC another $150M, yeah, not great. It would be really bad if CRCC was still just flailing and we throw more money at the problem. It's not as bad if MBTA is confident that problems at the factory are getting sorted, and that money is a reasonable estimate for what it'll actually take to deliver the trains. If the MBTA is convinced that money is actually needed to finish the trains, then withholding is a bad way to be tough. They'll risk not getting the trains, or just getting junk.

In any case, the MBTA is picking between only bad options. As long as they've stepped up their oversight, then this doesn't seem like the worst.
 
This is due to the derailment pair. Because of the derailment pair, 122 delivered Orange Line cars is the total to offset the out of service derailment pair. This way, 120 new Orange Line cars would be available in service to match the pre-COVID fleet.

I also have an identical copy of the trains in service to headways chart, under pre-slow zone schedules.
View attachment 49073

Thanks! It appears your table assumes about a 10-15 minute more efficient base-line round trip than mine does. Easily explainable with the current slow zones.
 
Thanks! It appears your table assumes about a 10-15 minute more efficient base-line round trip than mine does. Easily explainable with the current slow zones.
It's intentional, since the Orange Line slow zones are expected to be fully addressed by January 1st, 2025 in the track improvement restoration program, so it's unneccessary to extrapolate to 20 Orange Line trainsets using 15 minutes of slow zone delay.
 
It's intentional, since the Orange Line slow zones are expected to be fully addressed by January 1st, 2025 in the track improvement restoration program, so it's unneccessary to extrapolate to 20 Orange Line trainsets using 15 minutes of slow zone delay.
Yep! I totally agree. I was looking for somebody with a more buttoned-up calculation and you provided it. I appreciate it. Thanks.
 
Well said. It's easy fodder for the media: "The MBTA is throwing another $150 Million at a CHINESE company to complete an already delayed existing contract!" And the media would be right. But the reality is that we badly need these cars, a lot has change since the initial contract was signed, and there probably isn't another way to obtain those cars without spending more and/or waiting much longer. I actually appreciate that the MBTA chose to face the reality head on rather than allow CRCC to fail or put the remainder of the order out to bid again. From a strictly political standpoint, it would have been easier to do take the latter approach and publicly drag CRCC through the mud for "failing to deliver."
That, and even with this additional funding, it's costing less than any of the other bidders would have...
 

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