Following a presentation by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ’s Capital Transformation and Vehicle Engineering teams, the MBTA’s Board of Directors awarded an over-$810 million contract to CAF USA Inc. to deliver over 100 Green Line Type 10 “Supercar” trolleys, which will bring benefits to riders and the MBTA system through increased safety, accessibility, capacity, and maintainability.
The procurement of the new Type 10 vehicle fleet is a keystone project in the Green Line Transformation Program’s larger portfolio to help achieve improvements in four levels of transformation, including improving the safety and state of good repair, increasing accessibility, replacing legacy vehicles, and increasing rider capacity. This provides an opportunity for significant improvements to the Green Line and its riders.
The new Green Line Type 10 supercar will be 40 feet longer than the Green Line vehicles in use today and includes wider door openings, which will maximize passenger capacity, boarding efficiency, and accessibility. The design also includes 100% low-floor boarding, eliminating all stairs for passenger entry and improving accessibility for riders. Low-floor boarding will also be accommodated in future station upgrades to allow for level boarding. Additional accessibility improvements include bridge plates at all double-leaf doors to assist with boarding and four priority areas in the vehicles for passengers using wheeled mobility devices. The Type 10 vehicles also feature state-of-the-art technology and enhanced communication systems, including audiovisual information screens for improved passenger wayfinding and overall customer experience.
The new Supercars will employ the latest generation of crash-safety technology, which will create a safer environment for both operators and riders. The design includes a closed operator’s cab with increased visibility, which eliminates the likelihood of extraneous distractions and improves the safety for everyone on board.
Currently, the Type 10 vehicles are in the procurement phase with the design phase scheduled to begin in fall 2022. The Supercars will be in design for a few years before pilot vehicles are introduced to the system.
The total cost of the contract awarded to CAF USA Inc. is $810,925,658, and includes the manufacture and delivery of 102 new Type 10 Light Rail vehicles, associated tools, testing, training, materials, equipment, services, and more.
-via Press Release