MBTA Fairmount Line battery-electric trains move ahead

MBTA Fairmount Line battery-electric trains are moving closer to reality as Boston’s MBTA and its Commuter Rail operations and maintenance partner, Keolis Commuter Services, wrap up a major rail replacement programme that has renewed more than 28 miles of track along the corridor.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Fairmount Line rail replacement and service schedule

The Fairmount Line rail replacement project is described as one of the largest recent MBTA rail renewal efforts. Under a $12 million programme launched in June, crews renewed nearly 158,000 feet of rail, and this single initiative has replaced more track than is normally renewed across the entire Commuter Rail network in a year.

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According to METRO Magazine, the work advanced at a record pace so it could be finished on schedule, even as trains continued to operate on the Fairmount Line during peak travel periods.

From 1 December, the Fairmount Line is due to return to its regular timetable, reinstating 30-minute service across most of the day. At the same time, the current Providence/Stoughton and Franklin/Foxboro commuter rail schedules will stay in place until further notice to allow additional Amtrak repair work, meaning riders on those routes will continue to see the existing pattern of services for now.

Electrification with MBTA Fairmount Line battery-electric trains

In July 2024, the MBTA board signed off on a Keolis innovation proposal to electrify the Fairmount Line with battery-electric trains. As previously reported by Railway Supply, Keolis Commuter Services is preparing to introduce battery-electric multiple unit trains on the Fairmount Line as part of a wider effort to clean up commuter rail operations.

The new hybrid battery-electric commuter trains will rely on onboard batteries that charge when overhead catenary wires are available, enabling the fleet to run on stored energy away from wired sections while still drawing on existing electrified infrastructure where it is in place. The completed rail replacement work is described as the first step toward bringing these MBTA Fairmount Line battery-electric trains into service. Once they are introduced, the trains are expected to provide faster, quieter and more reliable journeys, with notably less air pollution in the environmental justice corridor served by the Fairmount Line. Passengers are also expected to see smoother rides, more space on board and a more modern, quieter travel environment with reduced noise and vibration throughout the trip.

Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng has emphasised that battery-electric trains, together with the supporting infrastructure now being installed, will deliver a quieter, cleaner and more reliable ride for Fairmount Line passengers. He also expressed gratitude to riders who rely on the corridor for their patience while crews accelerated substantial track renewal work that is critical to bringing battery-electric trains to communities along the line.

Cleaning, drainage and station improvements

In parallel with the core track renewal, MBTA and Keolis used the construction window to carry out additional improvements on the Fairmount Line. Crews power washed and deep cleaned all stations and platforms, removed graffiti, cleared trash from the right-of-way and improved drainage. Taken together, the rail replacement, environmental clean-up and station works are intended to support a more reliable, comfortable and attractive corridor as MBTA Fairmount Line electrification and battery-electric trains move from planning into implementation.

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