More disappointing news for Red, Orange Line MBTA riders

BOSTON — On Monday evening, MBTA officials tweeted out saying the new Red and Orange Line trains will not be rolled out for at least another year.

At South Station, one of the busiest train stations, where there are usually hundreds of riders a day say, it’s the same song and dance. They say the MBTA is using the pandemic as an excuse for not getting the new orange and red line fleets.

“There are delays all the time,” said Ayanna Robinson, a Red Line rider.

For Robinson, the red line train is necessary for work, but with all the track troubles it makes it impossible to rely on it.

“It made more sense to pay, and get a Lyft or something, you can’t take it for anything you rely on,” said Robinson.

Rider after rider shares the same story about the red line.

To add more frustration, MBTA officials tweeted this late Monday night, “We share in the disappointment of our riders, and are working diligently to bring these vehicles into service alongside the three new Orange line trains. Due to contractor obstacles including materials availability, workflow, employee levels, and the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, we must unfortunately announce a significant 12+ month delay in delivery of the new Red Line and Orange line fleets.”

“They’re consistently delayed over and over again, I don’t know why. I saw the new Acela yesterday, that’s probably delayed too,” said Christopher Lucy, a commuter.

The Red Line has had its own fair share of problems.

In June, at the JFK/UMass train station, a Red Line derailed.

After months of investigating, MBTA officials says a broken axle was to blame.

“You have a definite shelf life on equipment like that,” said Christopher Lucy, a commuter.

The summer of 2019 was marred by issues with the Red Line, where several trains derailed throughout the months of May, July and July and left commuters stranded and late for work and school.

At least 250 new Red Line trains and 150 Orange Line trains were expected to be rolled out this year.

Lucy said he used to ride the Orange Line.

“The cars are decrepit, so I don’t know if they are wearing out the wheel bearings,” said Lucy.

Riders say now is the time to roll out the new trains because ridership is down and the MBTA would have time to make sure the new cars roll out smoothly.

“They’re not being crushed with demands of service, this is a good time to get the prototypes on the road,” said Lucy.

Lucy said his 65th birthday will be in 10 days, when he’ll finally be able to apply for a senior discount. He hopes the MBTA won’t raise fares again, because he says it’s not fair, especially since everyone is struggling during the pandemic.

Boston 25 has reached out to the MBTA for additional comment, but have not heard back.

Cox Media Group