Ready to roll: 1st new trains in decades debut on T's Orange Line

BOSTON — It's a sight for sore eyes for commuters on the MBTA's Orange Line.

The first new trains in decades — six of them initially — are going into service Wednesday on the transit line which runs from the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston to Oak Grove station in Malden.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority eventually plans to replace the entire existing Orange Line fleet with 152 new trains by 2022. The new vehicles are being built by the Chinese-owned company CRRC at a manufacturing plant in Springfield.

The T says the new trains will have more spacious interiors, along with wider doors, more handrails, better lighting and safety features including audio and visual warnings that the doors on the train are opening or closing.

The MBTA hopes to replace the entire aging Orange Line fleet by 2022.

Cox Media Group