The MBTA’s campaign to replace the entire Red and Orange Line fleets with brand-new subway cars might be old enough to enroll in high school by the time it’s completed.
T officials on Thursday disclosed, again, that it will take longer than expected to receive all of the new Red Line cars outlined in a contract the Patrick administration first awarded to Chinese manufacturer CRRC back in 2014. The agency is in fact still not sure when it will hit the completion milestone, but they are confident at this point it will be later than the end-of-2027 target set in the prior round of delays.
The latest disruption comes amid massive trade upheaval with China and scrutiny by the Trump administration. Last year, federal customs officials detained train cars shipped to the Port of Philadelphia while verifying the Chinese company’s compliance with a US law prohibiting the import of goods produced using forced labor.
That action in turn prompted CRRC to furlough more than 160 workers at the Springfield factory where the trains are assembled. After about six months, workers began returning in July.
Officials said Thursday that the facility now has a full workforce and about 40 cars on location. CRRC is still developing an updated timeline to accommodate the newest delays, and it plans to open a second assembly line early next year.
More Context
- Eng confident ‘challenges’ to delivery of new MBTA trains will be resolved (July 2025)
- MBTA hits ‘reset’ on deal with subway car manufacturer (March 2024)
Published by MassINC