State leaders get tour of new Orange Line trains

BOSTON — State leaders toured the new Orange line trains on Tuesday afternoon.

The trains are currently being tested at the MBTA’s Wellington Yard maintenance facility for federal testing and inspection procedures.

In 2014, the MBTA awarded a Chinese company, CCRC MA Corporation, a $566 million contract to design and manufacture new Orange and Red Line trains.  The contract calls for 152 new Orange Line and 252 Red Line subway trains.

The new vehicles will include several new features such as wider side door openings, LED lighting and closed-circuit cameras and video recording.

Full rail car production is underway at CRRC’s Rail Car Assembly Facility in Springfield and completion slated for December 2018.

A mock-up for the new Red Line cars is scheduled for this summer with assembly slated to begin summer 2019.

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Cox Media Group