Blue Line (MBTA) - Equipment

Equipment

Like all MBTA lines, the Blue Line tracks are standard gauge heavy rail.

Blue Line cars are unique among rapid transit vehicles in Boston, in that they use both third rail power and pantograph current pickup from overhead catenary wires. Trains switch between the two modes at Airport station, near where the line transitions between running in a tunnel and running above ground. Previously, the switchover was made underground at Maverick station, but the temporary loss of power and lighting during switchover is less disconcerting above ground. The overhead pantograph was implemented to avoid third rail icing that frequently occurs in winter. Third rail power is used in the original Blue Line tunnels, which are smaller than most modern subway tunnels.

The Blue Line cars are also narrower and shorter than otherwise similar ones running on the Orange Line, due to the stations and tunnels on the former line having been originally designed to accommodate streetcars.

The Blue Line fleet consists mainly of 94 700-series cars (47 pairs) with stainless steel bodies from Siemens, with each car 48 feet (14.9m) long and 9 feet 3 inches wide (2.8m), with two pairs of doors per side. The cars are of a similar design to those built for the Tren Urbano system in San Juan, Puerto Rico, also designed by Siemens. Originally scheduled to be delivered beginning in January, 2004, the development of the trains has been beset with problems, and the delivery was pushed back numerous times. The cars were ultimately delivered beginning in January, 2007. The contract price of the cars is $174 million, with a total cost to the MBTA (including engineering and other related services) of $200 million.

Twenty of the older 600-series cars are also still on MBTA property but are no longer usable as of February 2012. Previously, all of the fleet consisted of the 0600 series, built 1978-1980 by Hawker Siddeley Canada Car and Foundry (now Bombardier Transportation) of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They are 48 feet 10 inches (14.9 m) long and 9 feet 3 inches (2.8 m) wide, with two pairs of doors on each side, and a design maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h). They are based on the PA3 model used by PATH in New Jersey. There were originally 70 Hawker cars, numbered 0600-0669. As of 2011, most of these cars have been retired because of severe corrosion, mainly caused by the salty air that results from much of the line being very close to the ocean. However, 12-20 cars were retained until 2012. Seashore Trolley Museum received set 622-623 for their collection. Parts of scrapped cars are used to maintain Orange Line 1200 series rolling stock, which was built at the same time by Hawkey Siddeley and used many of the same components.