Rotem Cars Discussion (new bi-level cars)

Don’t forget, more blinds will be coming starting at some point in 2026.

There are at least two sets running on the north side with THREE bi-levels. They're both configured with a 17xx cab car, a 9xx just behind, two flats, then another 9xx adjacent to the engine. They were both at BON yesterday morning.

MBTAVideoClips wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2024 5:55 am Only two blinds left after this! Will they deliver them like 885/886/1866/1867 and then 1868/1869/1870 in 1 group?

Honestly they should just cut the last 3 cab cars because we don't need them. We are already at a surplus for cabs

Just use them as blinds when needed. Then when a bunch of cabs are needed, take them off the middle of sets and put them where they are needed.

Just noticed that 1861 is in service and just started today. Unsure if 1860 is too or if it’d just that.

Started yesterday. 5:15 PM trip to Greenbush

I can now confirm that 1860 also started yesterday I believe.

Yep! Spotted by my friend earlier today.

4 of the latest R cars arrived in Framingham this morning off of the final leg of CSX M436

1867-1866-88*-88*

Final order must be up next. 1868, 1869, 1870.

The missing two numbers in the post above are 886 and 885, which completes the delivery of all 40 blind coaches in this order. As MBTAVideoClips says, three more control cars are due to complete the entire order.

Still a couple years off before we start to see deliveries of the recently awarded option order for 41 more cars.

Will they find the money to exercise the rest of the options?

I don’t know that there is an additional option beyond the additional 41 coaches they added on a couple months ago.

There were two options on the contract. The MBTA exercised the option for 41 trailers in May, and formally signed it a few days ago.

There is an additional option available for 39 cars (19 trailers and 20 cab cars) that expires in December. If exercised, it would replace the last single-level cars. See page 8 here:

https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/file ... _FINAL.pdf

885, 886, 1866 & 1867 into Framingham 8/20