New Blue line cars ETA?

Well, the purpose was essentially so that the people along the Fairmount Line corridor would be connected to downtown and have much better service than they used to, and the Blue Line would be connected to the Red and Silver Lines. The Blue Line would also no longer terminate in downtown.

I don't think anyone would really ever need to go from one end to the other, I just think that people would be going from either end to the middle. It would allow the T to not need different maintenance facitilites for different Indigo Line cars as well.

The Blue Line cars wouldn't be running on Red Line track, the Red Line tunnel would be expanded to four tracks and the platforms would be connected in the same way as the North Station superstation is now.

And if you look at a map, it wouldn't make much sense to have the High speed line that close but still that far away from the new Blue Line stop.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=500+River ... 0262&hl=en

It would be extended to the Blue Line stop on the rail line to the left.

I'd like to see the Blue line extended from Bowdoin to charles, then under storrow to near mass ave. At mass ave, turn south following mass ave to the south bay mall, hooking into indigo line. New stations would be at Charles, Hynes Convention Center, Mass Avenue/Symphony, Washington Street, Melnea Cass/BU Medical, Southbay... then to indigo line.

Wheras the Indigo Line into South Station merely needs additional platforms and upgrading of currents stations.Personally I don't think
extending the blue line to Lynn makes sense either.I've used CR from
Lynn and BL is not gonna beat that timewise into town.I think a Revere commuter rail stop would make more sense.

I believe one of the reasons for a Lynn extension is to provide frequent service into Boston from Lynn. Therefore, gas guzzling express buses are not needed to provide frequent service.

Any updates?

Yeah same here, hate to beat an older thread, but anyone got any news? I havent heard any late nite screeching beyond the normal stuff (1 and 5ish)

MickD wrote:Wheras the Indigo Line into South Station merely needs additional platforms and upgrading of currents stations.

The Dorchester Branch is too vital to the Commuter Rail, it will never be made into a rapid transit line. Do you really think that Amtrak would want all the extra dead-head moves during non-peak hours between the Readville facility & South Station being moved via the Corridor?!?

Also, freight traffic uses this line at night Sunday-Thursday, although all cars for Americold @ South Bay & the Boston Globe could be routed from Beacon Park via Cove. The only present customer that wouldn't be able to get all of it's cars from Beacon Park would be Boston Railway Terminal.

MickD wrote:I've used CR from
Lynn and BL is not gonna beat that timewise into town.

Travel time would never be better than the Commuter rail, but the advantage would be more frequency.

MickD wrote:I think a Revere commuter rail stop would make more sense.

I totally agree, although there isn't much land that could be develop[ed in an ideal location, such as near Bell Circle or Wonderland.


Anyways, back to the topic.......when are the new cars supposed to be delivered?

Got an email back from Lisa Bono:

Thank you for your email regarding the delivery schedule for new Blue
Line cars.

The response to your inquiry comes from the Project Manager:

"The first pair of cars is undergoing preliminary static and dynamic
testing at the final assembly site. After completion of these activities
in late September, one of these cars will be sent to a test facility for
proof-of-design testing of the heating and air conditioning systems.
This pair will not be the first delivered to the MBTA.
The second pair of cars will be the first to be delivered after
undergoing static and dynamic testing. According to the latest schedule
from the carbuilder, delivery is scheduled for October, 2005. The third
and fourth pairs are scheduled to arrive in November, 2005 and December,
2005 respectively. These first three pairs are scheduled to be in
service in March, 2006. The last pair of cars is scheduled for delivery
in December, 2007."

So, irregardless it does seem like we will be able to see SOMETHING by the years end, as we know non-revenue testing on the BL, but it still will be nice!!!