New Red and Orange Line Cars

"The vast majority" of cars running after the shutdown will be new, is the language the T is using.

You'll still see a few old ones...

In that case, I wonder if they'll swap out the promotional PA announcements from the now-rare: "...train is approaching featuring all-new orange line cars"
To the hopefully-rare: "...train is approaching featuring the last rusty, spontaneously combustible remnants of an era of neglect"
 
I think that if that announcement comes on the intercome, that they'll probably scare away the passengers! 😱
 
It's official, but let's see if it happens. According to a news report, the T says that when the Orange Line reopens next month, it will have mostly ALL NEW Orange line trains in use. Supposedly, there will be no more old cars coming back. But I'll have to SEE it to believe it! I'm from Missouri. And when we DO start back getting the rest of the new cars, I would assume that all the old 01200's will officially be put out to pasture! :unsure:
 
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I don’t think you have to from Missouri to be cynical enough that you only believe it if you actually see it
 
With them, I think that it's true, it's very true. How many times has they promised us stuff & we got shafted? Too many times to mention. But I'll just wait & see how this debacle with the Orange line will be ironed out. Also, part of the GLX which opened in March will be closed for 4 weeks in order to be able to finish the rest of it. :unsure:
 
Lost in the hoopla over the OL shutdown, NETransit is now showing the number of active new cars exceeds the number of active old cars for the very first time, 72 to 66. 54 old cars are now in the dead line awaiting scrap, with the first group of 30 expected to start being scrapped later this month.
 
Lost in the hoopla over the OL shutdown, NETransit is now showing the number of active new cars exceeds the number of active old cars for the very first time, 72 to 66. 54 old cars are now in the dead line awaiting scrap, with the first group of 30 expected to start being scrapped later this month.

The old cars now look like they've seen better days. They sure are an embarrassment to be in use, aside from the fact that peices of hanging lose metal seem to find it's way to the third rail, causing fires. I think that riders are fed up with these problematic trains, & are probably as happy as I am to see them all put out to pasture. Aside from the Blue Line which already has new trains, the three lines left (Orange, Red & Green) all lines will be dressed to the nines with new trains by the early 2030's or so, & will be shiny & new. :)
 
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I hope there's an official "Goodbye to the 1200 series" event; the last cars to run on the Washington Street Elevated deserve a better send-off than "No train service".

Put one of the old trains on a send-off one way from Forrest Hills to Oak Grove. When it gets there, sing Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye!!!! Have it graffitied to death with everyone's signature & turn it off. Hah!! :)
 
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One of my questions concerning the redo of the Orange Line is about the Charlie mechines. Are they going to install the very latest ones to replace the old ones? Just thought that I'd throw that out there, since they ARE doing a redo of the entire line. :)
 
One of my questions concerning the redo of the Orange Line is about the Charlie mechines. Are they going to install the very latest ones to replace the old ones? Just thought that I'd throw that out there, since they ARE doing a redo of the entire line. :)

I doubt they have a gigantic warehouse full of new machines and gates just waiting for a shutdown to install them (though, it's Cubic, so you never know). I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if some replacements were installed over the course of the month, simply because they have been replacing machines.
 
Guess that has nothing to do with the scheduling of the trains, even though putting money into the machines constitutes the amount of money on your Charlie pass. But it would be nice, somewhat if they do. :)
 
Anyone willing to share their experience on the reopened Orange Line, and for this thread comment on what a “majority new” car fleet means for their experience as riders?
 
I bought my condo next to the Orange Line seven years ago. I have lived car-free the entire time and used to be a more-than-daily Orange Line rider.

Honestly, the quality and reliability of the Orange Line has dropped so much that I almost never ride it. I bike everywhere instead and bicycle infrastructure has improved quite a bit while the Orange Line has decayed. It was just closed for a month and now today it looks like there were massive delays today due to an issue with one of the new trains. Even if service ran “perfectly,” it would have 12 minute peak headways. This is not the Orange Line I relied on for years pre-COVID.

The “majority new” trains mean nothing to me personally because service is so abysmal, I avoid it relying on it. Unfortunately, winter is coming and I hope it’s better by then, but I’m not holding my breathe.
 
Apparently, it's not even worth the effort to sell the old OL trains for scrap value, given that 6 GL cars sold for just $1k and 2 CR F40s sold for $4k - and the last 2 never sold.

Rather, the T is going to be paying over $1M for each of 4 batches of 30 cars, so ~35k each just to get rid of them. Admittedly, given that apparently the things are filled with asbestos it kinda makes sense.

Still feels like money the T maybe didn't need to spend though - even if the lot of 30 went for only $1k someone else would be footing the bill. but I suppose the newer, SS Red line trains that presumably don't have a mitigation problem might be worth more in scrap.

 
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I bought my condo next to the Orange Line seven years ago. I have lived car-free the entire time and used to be a more-than-daily Orange Line rider.

Honestly, the quality and reliability of the Orange Line has dropped so much that I almost never ride it. I bike everywhere instead and bicycle infrastructure has improved quite a bit while the Orange Line has decayed. It was just closed for a month and now today it looks like there were massive delays today due to an issue with one of the new trains. Even if service ran “perfectly,” it would have 12 minute peak headways. This is not the Orange Line I relied on for years pre-COVID.

The “majority new” trains mean nothing to me personally because service is so abysmal, I avoid it relying on it. Unfortunately, winter is coming and I hope it’s better by then, but I’m not holding my breathe.
I can echo this story line.
I lived next to the Orange Line near Tufts Medical for 15 years. Initially commuting to my consulting office in East Cambridge (Orange Green) then moved my office Downtown (Orange only), and finally to the edge of Back Bay/Bay Village (mostly walking) after the 2015 meltdown. Still using the Orange Line for personal movement around the city, but not commuting.

I finally gave up last year; switched mostly to work from home. Moved out to the burbs and car for personal use. I have ridden the Orange Line twice in the past year, and both times, even allowing time for abysmal service, was late to personal engagements.
 

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