Boston commuters on the Fairmount Line may soon say farewell to diesel chug and welcome a cleaner, zippier future. Keolis Commuter Services, the MBTA's commuter rail contractor, has made an ambitious proposal to introduce battery-operated electric trains, amping up service frequencies to every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 30 down to minutes on weekends by 2027, as The Boston Globe reported.
The current diesel-powered trains plod along at best every 45 minutes during the week, and the long wait can stretch to a full 90 minutes over the weekend. Advocates have long pressed the T to roll out electric trains and emulate subway-like frequencies on the commuter rail, which would drastically cut downtime for areas with predominantly Black and Latino populations. According to a Boston 25 News report, Keolis' plan signals a significant stride towards cleaner, more efficient urban transit.
These new electric trains are not just about convenience. They bring the promise of reduced emissions, which as the research shows, translate into a tangible decrease in the risk of disease and premature deaths caused by the pollutants from diesel. Local resident, Felicia Richard, told The Boston Globe, “The impact would be tremendous.” She highlighted the very human benefit of reduced waiting times and lessened exposure to the diesel emissions currently clouding her station's air.
An outlier in its reliance on older diesel technology, the MBTA has lagged behind its contemporaries in adopting greener alternatives. Yet, the tide may be changing—Keolis' vision has caught the eye of city officials at a crucial juncture. Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Boston's chief of streets, acknowledged the city's readiness to collaborate with the T to ensure a fruitful transition to the proposed electric service, as The Boston Globe acknowledged.
Despite the rosy projection, the plan still confronts a financial hurdle: MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo indicated that while there’s a commitment to decarbonizing the entire network, funding remains unresolved for the electrification of other lines such as Providence/Stoughton and Newburyport/Rockport. Keolis has proposed to handle everything from procurement of the new trains to operation, yet they have remained tight-lipped about the full expense of the pilot project, only revealing through a spokesperson that it aligns with the current administration's decarbonization goals.
With the deadline for competing offers set for April 12, new developments await as the city eyes a greener, more rapid future, and commuters cling to the promise of better days whisking along the tracks of the Fairmount Line.
