MBTA's Plans to Modernize Their Passenger Rail Network (Electrification and New Locomotives)

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

It is criminally stupid that the MBTA can't just put up overhead wire and thereby avoid the expense of batteries (which will be ongoing as you have to keep replacing them). The New Haven Railroad electrified from New York to New Haven with their own electrical system when they didn't have an electrical grid to pull from, so the T should be able to electrify all of its lines even if they have to build electrical transmission infrastructure into areas with poor electrical grids. The T is _always_ coming up with excuses why things cannot be done.

[@pilsudski36]

Batteries could work in a warm climate with flat land where trips are not too long. I see it as a real problem in New England winters.

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

@@pilsudski36. . . Which reminds me of how 2 phones ago, my Samsung Galaxy S4 started to die in the cold before dying generally. Which makes me wonder how long before the T starts having trouble with all those battery buses we have been getting.

[@brosonly3389]

lithium batteries are also bad for the environment due to battery waste and the lithium mining

[@yukihong9726]

Because caternary wires and pantographs last forever and don't need replacing until the heat death of the universe. I don't disagree with you, though - overhead electrification beats batteries any day. But that argument just isn't it

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

@@yukihong9726 Wires and pantographs do need eventual replacement, but it's a long time, and the materials are more easily obtained and more easily recycled (apparently we really fail at lithium battery recycling).

[@PeterBlack-nl5hy]

Drawbridges should not be a problem. The New Haven Line and Shore Line have lots of drawbridges, and all but the Cos Cob bridge have continuous electrification. At Cos Cob, the trains coast across the gap in electrification. With the M8 cars, at least one set is powered at all times. Catenary towers last at least 100 years. About 20 years ago, the New Haven Line's catenary was converted to constant tension, with sets of pulleys, weights, and cables whose expansion in heat kept the power wires at a constant height. The Shore Line, and rest of the NEC from New Haven to Boston, was electrified in 2000 with new constant tension wires. Electrification isn't new technology. It's entirely doable.

[@kevinb8881]

MBTA should take lessons from Caltrain and the progress they made!!!

[@railfanning.productions]

Yeah! The MBTA just got approved a $54 million plan to acquire BEMU trains for their Fairmount line so they are definitely going somewhere!

[@kevinb8881]

@@railfanning.productions Yeah I read about it last week online, too!!

[@kevinb8881]

@@railfanning.productions Yeah I heard about it, too!!

[@Sacto1654]

I can't wait for the start of the new Caltrain service in September. Modern trains that will sport less travel time between San Jose and San Francisco.

[@Ror55555]

@@Sacto1654 Its actually live since the 11th, September is just when they'll finally stop running all Diesels besides the Gilroy route

[@Mishastrains]

Yea but they chose the fairmount line which is i guess a good choice cuz if those trains broke down on the nec then trains might get delayed really badly and the nec is really busy so idk

[@qualitytraders5333]

In 1922 The Netherlands decided to electrify the rail network. So, the US is running more than 100 years behind. The main reason is that in the US railroads are private while in Europe they are managed by governments. Anybody, saying private companies running infrastructure is more eficient, is just crazy.

[@pilsudski36]

There's already wire between Providence and Boston - why not start with these Commuter rail routes? Needham would be the most logical line for new wire.

[@railfanning.productions]

Yeah I thought the same

[@Paul1958R]

MBTA: No taxpayer dollar left unwasted

[@javirodriguez7759]

I don't understand why sticks with cables cost so much.

[@counterfit5]

I think the main issue is keeping the cables at the correct height and tension

[@schwunkie]

Maintenance, powering those wires, and managing it

[@johncrest-r6n]

Looks like they are hopping on the cal train bandwagon.

[@mikaelj90]

Hi, where are the maps from?

[@railfanning.productions]

Here’s a link to the website where I found the maps

[@railfanning.productions]

mass.streetsblog.org/2022/07/12/t-considers-battery-equipped-trains-to-accelerate-rail-electrification-plans

[@R262SubwayTrain]

8:01 MBTA M7???

[@railfanning.productions]

I don’t think that would happen

[@archstanton5973]

battery locomotive = *PURE PATHETIC JOKE.*