Local

Sayonara! MBTA begins junking decades-old Orange Line cars as new fleet rolls out

BOSTON — The MBTA has started the process of sending 40-year-old Orange Line trains to the scrap heap as the transit agency works to bring an entirely new fleet of 152 state-of-the-art cars online for daily service.

Flatbed trucks were spotted this week carrying old Orange Line cars out of Wellington Yard for disposal at the T’s maintenance facility.

When the subway line reopened Monday following a 30-day shutdown, there were a total of 72 new Orange Line train cars rolling down the tracks, up from the 30 new cars that were in use prior to the unprecedented closure.

Transit officials hope to have the full fleet of modern, more efficient, and more spacious cars in service by 2023.

The new cars come equipped with wider doors, more handrails, and LED lighting systems.

The Orange Line went offline in late August to allow for five years worth of repairs and upgrades.

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