USA: Public feedback is being incorporated into the specifications for the Type 10 Supercar light rail vehicles which CAF is to supply for Boston’s Green Line.
‘It’s important for riders to know that we care about both their safety and also their experiences on the system’, according to MBTA General Manager & CEO Phillip Eng.
The 102 LRVs which Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ordered in 2022 at a cost of $811m are intended to offer increased safety, improved accessibility, more capacity and better maintainability.
MBTA’s Vehicle Engineering team is currently engaging with stakeholder groups on the technical specifications, which include redundant components, audio-visual information and accessibility enhancements when compared to legacy rolling stock.
The seven-section LRVs will be 12 m longer than the current Green Line vehicles.
Accessibility features will include a 100% low-floor design to offer level boarding once the stops are modified, as well as wider doors, gap fillers and more priority seats.
Safety systems will include onboard and lineside equipment for signal and speed limit enforcement.
The future livery was announced on October 16, following an online survey which received more than 16 300 responses. Three options were put forward, and there were 9 566 votes for the winning design which includes a green and dark grey body, green doors and a white and turquoise lower stripe.
MBTA plans to display a mock-up of the LRV for public feedback next year. Four pilot vehicles are then scheduled for delivery in spring 2026, with production vehicles following in 2027-31.
