It's not the cars for Blue's problems. Blue is always susceptible to winter weather because of the ice buildup coming off the ocean spray. It cakes up on the wires, which chews up the padding on the cars' pantographs. It gunks up the switches. And it causes wheel-slip problems on slick rail. It's been like this since the day the surface part of the line opened in 1954. And this storm blew hard off the water, so the ice buildup was more severe than usual.
The only thing that they can do to improve this is replace the signal system, which still uses NYC Subway-style mechanical trip arms. Moving parts don't fare well with ice buildup, so a solid-state ATO or CBTC setup that eliminates those moving parts would help. Somewhat. It's still going to be the iciest of any of the 4 lines with extra winter pitfalls the others don't have to deal with as much.
Commuter rail...oh, hell yes, they're suffering from old equipment. But this is the last year that's going to be an issue with the new locomotives in testing and surplus old equipment starting to get pulled from service and put on standby by the time we get to Fall.
Please note that I said that all the transit agency's RT lines had to suffer, WITH EXVCEPTION OF the Blue Line, to which I was referring to its rail cars.
But yeah, the Red & Oranges Lines both have automatic train control. The northern part of the Orange Line is having it installed.
The Green Line still uses the old system, mainly because 3 of those lines use street traffic lights to slow down, stop & go - E, C & B. It's the D Line that needs to be upgraded to the newer signaling system. In the tunnel and on the surface.
Had they done this years ago with the D Line, then they would not have had those 3 catastrophic crashes.
As for the commuter rail, the T has begun receiving new locomotives that would eventually replace the old ones.
And yeah, ice buildup is a major factor with problems on the RT lines. Especially on the third rail. It can stop a train from operating, just like it can stop a plane from flying.
What puzzles me is that they buy and install new trains into service, that's a good thing, but they are still using old outdated obsolete antiquated dinosaur signaling systems that have been proven by the NTSB to be so unreliable and dangerous!!