Green Line Type 9 Thread

It appears the Type 9s have seen little or no use in the past two days - I saw none in my Green Line travels yesterday, nor were there any showing on a popular tracker app, and so far today looks like the same story. Considering on a typical weekday there are multiple pairs of cars running most if not all day, this seems a bit odd. Did something happen to cause the Type 9s to be pulled from service?

I don't think so. Since the Boston College branch is only running between Boston College and Washignton st, there's a surplus of equipment, so I'm also seeing more Type 8-Type8 pairs than the usual Type 8-Type 7 pairs.

I did enquire with "someone who knows someone who knows" and there was allegedly a minor issue which now seems to have been addressed, since as I write this I note three pairs of cars are in service.

Little wonder there is no rush to accept the last car in the order, even though it's been on property for many months now...

Per the Newtrains and Transitmatters trackers, right now there are six Type 9 sets running, including an "alpha and omega" pair consisting of 3900 and 3923, the lowest and highest numbered Type 9s.

I do not know if this is a test train or if 3923 has finally been accepted for revenue service. It has/had been in testing since delivery last fall.

A test train would not be on the tracker as that is not a revenue service move. Only the new trains in service are listed on the tracker. Most likely it’s in service and hasn’t been updated on the roster yet.

I'm pretty sure I've seen 3823 show up on trackers before even when it was just out on a test run, but it is true that it could just be that the maintainer of the roster has not gotten the info, or updated it yet. I've known him for many years; he gets his info out of the courtesy of employees, so it is not an instantaneous update when things change. People have jobs and vacation and what have you...

You mean 3923 right? And I’m aware people have lives to live. Idk if it’s actually still testing or not, but that is what I think is happening.

Yes, 3923, sorry. I'm guessing that the protracted delay in accepting the last car might be some kind of dispute or contractual thing, i.e. we won't accept the last car and close out the order until you fix this, or all i's are dotted and t's are crossed on everything. Usually when all is well and bugs are worked out etc., it should take a very short time between delivery and acceptance... just a "burn in" period and good to go. I recall Type 7s eventually going into service within a couple weeks of delivery. Covid notwithstanding, 3923 has been on the property for nearly a year now. Seems a bit long even for the T.

Per multiple trackers, 3923 is out and about again today, paired with 3920. I know not whether it is on a test run or in revenue service.

That’s revenue service. All test trains are never on any public tracking apps. I’ve caught some myself and not seen them on the tracker at that time. I would think that what you said about them accepting the last car is true.

That is not true. I used the tracker to go see the green line cars in testing all the time. (actually I was trying to ride them, but when they showed up, they were not in service) The red line cars showed up on the tracker when they were in testing, long before they entered revenue service.

After a long wait, 3923 has finally been accepted as the last car for revenue service. This means that all type 9 cars are no longer in testing and that order is complete.

I'm cynical enough to muse how long the Type 9 fleet will remain intact...

Me too, especially in light of the most recent accident.

Type 9s will go to the Mattapan line when the type 10s come in.