All aboard! Massachusetts is getting 10 new electric transit trains — SkimNews
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- MBTA voted to purchase 20 Siemens Charger locomotives, including 10 dual-mode battery/catenary electric units and 10 Tier 4 diesel-electric hybrids, to modernize its aging fleet.
- Siemens will build the locomotives, having already delivered 440 Charger models globally, with delivery of the first units set to begin in 2029 and all 20 in service by 2030.
- MBTA will replace its oldest locomotives, including 13 GP40s that have exceeded their useful life and F40s set to retire between 2029 and 2035, with the new Siemens units.
- MBTA faces technical challenges integrating battery-electric units with existing cab cars, requiring coordination with railroad operations, engineering, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
- Massachusetts Department of Transportation transferred $200 million toward the $310.4 million purchase, with the remainder covered by a mix of state and federal funding.
- MBTA has an option to order additional locomotives under the contract, though details were not discussed during the board meeting.
Why it matters: The $310.4 million investment replaces 50-year-old trains with cleaner, more efficient models, reducing long-term maintenance costs and emissions. The 2030 full deployment deadline creates urgency to resolve technical integration issues with existing infrastructure and labor partners.
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