BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority said delivery of its new Red Line cars has been delayed due to actions by the federal government.
A spokesperson for the MBTA said the original deadline for all new Red Line cars by the end of 2027 is no longer achievable.
“That’s a long time,” said Thao Bui, who takes the Red Line to work often.
Sixty-eight of the expected 252 new cars have been delivered so far.
“New cars are clean, but the older ones are a bit messy and smell bad sometimes,” said MBTA rider Rhythm Bhavsar.
“They feel old, the seats are old, it looks dirty. The new one has more space,” said Bui.
The spokesperson said that, before interruptions by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation was preparing to deliver eight cars per month to the MBTA.
The CRRC is planning a revised delivery schedule for the MBTA’s review this winter.
New cars on the Red Line averaged 97,120 miles between failures.
Currently, 40% or more of Red Line cars in service are new cars.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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