The Orange Line

click below to enlarge map.

At some point the southern connection between South Station and Washington Street was closed breaking the loop. By 1938, the entire Atlantic Avenue Elevated had been closed, leaving the subway as the only route through downtown. This is now the Orange Line between Haymarket and Chinatown stations.

In the 1970's the Boston Transportation Planning review looked at at the line and considered an extension to the beltway Route 128 with a terminal at Reading in the north and Dedham in the south. As a result of the review the Charleston Elevated which serviced the Charleston neighborhood north of downtown Boston and the suburb Everett was demolished in 1975. The Haymarket North Extension rerouted the Orange Line through an underwater crossing of the Charles River. Service in Charlestown was replaced with service along the former Boston and Albany tracks under Interstate 93, ultimately to Wellington and Oak Grove in Malden instead of Everett. Until Big Dig this was a major construction effort including the tunnel under the Charles River. Included in the project was a new service center at Wellington. Because none of the heavy subway lines have direct track connections it is necessary to truck cars from one line to Wellington. Just south of the Wellington station the Orange Line crosses over the Mystic river on a fixed bridge. And again the "T" used an existing railroad right of way for the new extension.

In 1972 the proposed construction of Interstate 95 into downtown Boston was cancelled after local protest over the necessary demolition. The land, however, for the Southwest Corridor through Roxbury had already been cleared of buildings. Instead of a highway the Orange Line subway would be re-routed into the corridor. By 1987 the Washington Street Elevated was torn down as part of this re-routing, the last of the original elevated portions to be demolished. It should be pointed out that this part of the line became somewhat famous due to a television series on NBC called "St. Elsewhere". There was a very nice shot of a then Orange Line elevated train passing the hospital. Ironically the show outlasted the elevated structure by one year.

Between 30 April and 3 May 1987, the Washington Street Elevated south of the Essex station was closed to allow the line to be tied into the new corridor. On 4 May 1987 the Orange Line was moved to its new track starting at the end of the Washington Street Tunnel and onto the new Southwest Corridor. The new line veered west at the Mass Pike and followed the Pike and former Boston and Albany right of way to the existing MBTA Commuter Rail stop at Back Bay. It then continued along new tracks, partially covered and partially open but depressed, to Forest Hills. As in past practice the right of way is shared with a railroad. In this case it is with the main Northeast Corridor shared by Amtrak's high speed service. For the rider there are a number of places where one can observe the NEC but most stations are enclosed making that impossible as well as the questionable neighborhood where the one station is in the open. Like the north end, Forest Hills is a simple two track station with a double crossove but also has tail tracks..

The final modification was from Big Dig. This involved the aforementioned work in the Green Line E Branch section in and around North Station. It also permitted a far better connection at North Station between the Green and Orange Lines.

At the present time the 120 Orange Line cars will most likely be replaced around 2013 to 2015.. As with the new Blue Line cars it is doubtful that the new cars will be compatible with the older 01200 series cars.

Orange Line in service. Wellington Sation
An outbound Orange Line train enters the Wellington station. Behind is the bridge over the Mystic River.
A closer look at the same train getting ready to stop at Wellington. Behind the train is a trainman's room for operators, supervisors and inspectors.
An inbound Orange Line train enters Wellington. To the left are the Wellington Shops for the Orange Line
A closer look at the same train getting ready to board passengers at Wellington station.
Malden Station. Also elevated and a transfer point to the MBTA commuter line
An inbound Orange Line train approaches the Malden station.
Inbound Orange Line train prepares to stop at Malden to pick up passengers for downtown Boston.
Orange Line inbound, student with IPOD at Malden waiting to board train.
An outbound Orange Line trains at Malden Station. To the right is the MBTA commuter track.
Oak Grove is the northern terminal of the Orange Line. There are no storage tracks; just a double crossover.
An outbound Orange Line train apporaches the crossover at Oak Grove Terminal
The train is in the process of crossing over from the outbound track to track 2 where it will shortly birth
Now on the station track at Oak Grove the train proceeds to the termianl where it will wait, change ends and then head back to Boston and Forest Hills.
Orange Line class car 01200 parked at the Oak Grove Terminal.
An Orange Line train waits at Forest Hill Terminal on the south end of the line. The terminal is covered and below street level. East of the terminal is the busy Amtrak Northeast Corridor.
An interior view of an Orange Line 01200 (#12) series car.

Orange Line (Wellington Carhouse)
Orange Line Fleet (120 cars)

Active Orange Line Fleet : (120 cars operated in married pairs):
01200/01201 through 01318/01319   
Orange Line Work Cars (8 cars)

Additional maintenance of way equipment maintained by automotive maintenance, that can be used on all four rapid transit lines such as tampers, hi-rail equipment, ballast cars, etc. are not included in table above.
 Peak vehicle requirement for Orange Line is 102 cars (17 six-car trains)