Boston to introduce first battery-electric trains to commuter rail line

A $54m plan to bring battery-electric trains to Boston’s commuter rail network has been approved by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as it moves away from diesel power to the lower emissions alternative. 

The 14.8km Fairmount line in the US city will receive a fleet of new BEMU trains under the plan, first proposed by operating company Keolis last year, and become the first line on the network to utilise battery-electric technology. 

MBTA CEO Phillip Eng described the agreement with Keolis as a “gamechanger” for the network and said: “By embracing new technologies, we will be able to electrify the Fairmount Line sooner within our existing available funding. 

“Understanding the billions of dollars needed to fully electrify our entire system, this is the first step that I believe will pave the way to a profound transformation that can bring the future of our rail network that much closer.” 

Use of BEMUs will allow Keolis to begin using electric trains on the line earlier than otherwise possible by taking advantage of existing areas of electrification such as at Boston’s South Station to charge the batteries for operations on non-electrified sections.

Following MBTA’s approval of the plan, work will begin on putting out a tender for the new vehicles, with Keolis acting as a project delivery partner to manage the new fleet and additional charging infrastructure needed for its operation. 

The authority hopes that the first BEMUs will begin services on the network by early 2028, reducing the carbon emissions of the Fairmount line by 17,700 tons per year after all diesel trains have been replaced. 

Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt said: “This is a significant step toward decarbonizing the entire network and positioning the state as a leader in clean energy and climate change.” 

New services using the trains are expected to run every 20 minutes and will notably operate through an “environmental justice corridor” in the city’s region, areas designated as suffering disproportionately from the effects of climate change. 

The plan marks another step in the improvement of rail services in and around Boston, which is also part of the Northeast Corridor, a network of rail lines that have received billions of dollars in federal investment into its infrastructure in recent years.