#4 Red Line Cars 1900-2151

Finally got my first ride on these. Anyone else find them uncomfortable? I got on at Andrew and I had to stand up before we got to Braintree cuz my rear-end was getting sore.

As a general rule I avoid sitting on the Orange Line but have done so only due to the length of the particular trip, and I took no exception except that the CRRC cars have very short seat backs, so you are kind of encouraged to sit up straight and not really relax the back. I have not sampled the seating on the Red Line because I've only ridden the CRRC cars a couple of times and only in the downtown core, but they're the same seats.

I took one a couple of months ago from Park Street to Harvard Square. I don't remember the seat being particularly uncomfortable, but I was surprised that there was only one window between each pair of doors -- the older trains have two. I didn't feel that the screens taking up the space instead were worth the substitution.

The doors are wider now so the door pocket had to be increased in size. The monitors/screens occupy the door space so no foul, if you go with two windows in the reaming space it wouldn't look as good and added cost of window upkeep, more chances of water infiltration and so on.

Are there still only two sets of these? I notice that one has been sitting in the yard across Fort Point Channel from South Station for the past couple weeks.

Why hasn't the T fired CRRC?

Why hasn't the official responsible for hiring them been sent to prison?

They can’t fire crrc because it would take forever to find another builder and get those new cars. You’re talking about at least another 4 years for them to build them once a contract gets approved. It’s cheaper to stick with what they have and continue this option. It was stated earlier that no one at the T is happy about this. According to the roster, it says that 2 are in service, but there should be wither 3 or 4 brand new red line trains. It has them listed as in testing for quite some time now. Like I stated before, once they finish the orange line order, they will focus on 4 red line cars a month. I believe for now it’s 2 a month for each. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong, but this is based on what I understand and my opinion and not an actual fact. Also, the reason the seats aren’t comfortable is to avoid having people stay on trains for a long period of time.

SEPTA withdrew from the contract after two completed pilot cars (not delivered).

Some recall the same over the Type 8s and suggested to "fire Breda" and give the rest of the cars to another
company. They got a consolation prize (95 cars instead of 85 by assembling 10 additional shells in 2007, plus
the five leftovers as spare shells, to the point the entire order of 100 was complete).

What kills is the MBTA agreeing to pay extra, above and beyond the contract price. Nobody is ever held accountable.

Any chance of a consolation prize here, as with the Type 8s and SEPTA getting 2308 as an in-kind late payment?

I note three CRRC trains on the Red Line at this writing. Progress! Slow, but progress.

Two cars arrived last night according to Universal Hub:

https://www.universalhub.com/2024/myste ... it-barrels