MBTA could electrify commuter rail network for between $800m and $1.5b

MBTA could electrify commuter rail network for between $800m and $1.5b

BOSTON, October 20, 2021 —

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority could electrify its commuter rail network for between $800 million and $1.5 billion, according to a new report from advocacy group TransitMatters out today. Electrification would not only help reduce the Commonwealth's greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net-zero, but also allow the MBTA to run faster, more reliable trains.

"Electrifying our rail network would be a win for everyone in the region," said Jarred Johnson, TransitMatters Executive Director. "People from Lowell or Dorchester will get faster rides into Boston and people in Dorchester and Roxbury will have fewer toxic fumes in their neighborhoods. Teamed with better service, electrification will get people out of cars and open up opportunities for housing." 

According to the report, electrifying the trains using an overhead catenary system is preferable to new technologies like battery power or hydrogen fuel cells for two main reasons: firstly, they are expensive, immature technologies with many hurdles to overcome before they can be deployed in Boston's wintry conditions; secondly, they are much heavier compared to the better solution of electric multiple units, or EMUs. These trains are more like subway or light rail vehicles than the Commuter Rail's traditional use of Diesel locomotives to haul unpowered carriages. As a result, they are lighter, accelerate and brake faster and have fewer moving parts, resulting in greater reliability and longer lifespans.

"EMUs outperform other trains in every respect: speed, acceleration, energy consumption, passenger comfort, operating costs, reliability, procurement costs and maintenance costs," the report states. "Combined, these allow electric trains to cover routes more quickly, and allow significantly more service to be provided with the same number of resources."

The cost estimate is based on international best-practices and does not include extending rail service to New Hampshire or making Cape Cod a year-round service. Nor does it include the Needham Line, which TransitMatters recommends becoming an extension of the Orange Line. Costs also do not include rolling stock, since the MBTA's Diesel locomotives and carriages must be replaced regardless of whether the system is electrified. The cost of high level platforms are also not included as these vary depending on the type of platform, some MBTA stations already have full high level platforms and the MBTA should be building them for greater accessibility regardless.

TransitMatters is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving transit in and around Boston by offering new perspectives, uniting transit advocates and informing the public.    

For media inquiries, please e-mail media@transitmatters.org. 

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October 28, 2021 —

We have issued a revision to our electrification report issued last week due to a misclassification of Caltrain's substations. We have also provided more info in the comparison matrix regarding the figures associated w/ Denmark & Britain's electrification. We thank everyone who promptly brought this to our attention to improve the accuracy of our report. We have replaced the report in kind on our website, so direct links still should work. The abstract contains a summary of revisions.