Indigo Line
| Indigo Line | |
|---|---|
 The Fairmount Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system was one of several rail lines considered for Indigo Line service in 2014 | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Canceled |
| Owner | MBTA |
| Locale | Greater Boston |
| Service | |
| Type | Rapid Transit / Regional Rail |
| System | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |
| Operator(s) | MBTA |
| Rolling stock | Diesel Multiple Units (Procurement canceled 2016) |
| History | |
| Opened | Proposed 2024 (Canceled) |
| Technical | |
| Character | Surface-level |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Indigo Line was a proposed rapid transit service of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority that would have incorporated parts of the former Grand Junction Railroad, the Seaport District's Track 61, a spur to Riverside station and other MBTA Commuter Rail lines.
The Indigo Line project was officially proposed in 2014 and was canceled in 2016.[1]
History[edit]
Conversion of underutilized rail infrastructure within the Greater Boston area into regional rail or semi-metro services has been discussed for several decades, mostly in relation to the Fairmount Line. The term "Indigo Line" dates back to the creation of the Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative in 2012; this study was facilitated by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (now the Boston Planning and Development Agency) which recommended transforming the Fairmount Line into a hybrid rail line (similar to New Jersey Transit's River Line).[2] The hybrid approach was intended to be a low cost alternative to implementing high-frequency services on existing right-of-ways through the use of small lightweight rolling stock.
2014 proposal[edit]
The Indigo Line project was formally proposed as a MBTA capital project in 2014 with the release of its annual five-year capital plan; the proposal was further outlined within the "MBTA Vision for 2024" proposal the same year.
As proposed within the Vision for 2024 plan, the Indigo Line would have operated diesel multiple units for its rolling stock and would be fully operational in that year.[3][4] The proposed 2014 state budget included $240 million to purchase DMU railcars; the state issued a request for proposals to purchase 30 trainsets with deliveries starting in 2018. An order of Nippon Sharyo DMUs for Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit in 2014 included an option for 18 cars to be provided to the MBTA for the Indigo Line service.[5] Additionally, the plan called for the installation of a pre-pay fare system on Indigo Line routes with fixed fare pricing, similar to the MBTA subway.
Routes considered[edit]
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024) |
The MBTA Vision for 2024 map proposed six possible lines to be upgraded for Indigo Line DMU service:
- The current Fairmount Line
- South Station to Riverside via the Framingham/Worcester Line and an old right of way from that line to Riverside currently used for trolley operator training
- Back Bay to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center using Track 61
- North Station to the planned West Station using the Grand Junction Railroad, with a new stop in Cambridge
- North Station to Anderson RTC on the Lowell Line
- North Station to Lynn on the Newburyport/Rockport Line
Project cancelation[edit]
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2024) |
Funding for the Indigo Line project would be blocked by the Baker administration in 2016.[6] The abandonment of the project was attributed to costs associated with acquiring specialized rolling stock along with general skepticism towards the practicality of the overall service. Opponents to the service cited the low ridership of the Fairmount Line (weekday ridership was 2,652 in 2018), as well as questioned the operational logistics of the proposed routes (mainly pertaining to how the Track 61 line would have bypassed South Station).[7]
Partial implementation[edit]
The Fairmount Line Improvement Project adopted by the MBTA is based on preliminary Indigo Line plans; however, in its initial proposal the MBTA did not plan to increase service frequency to match rapid transit lines, nor to install pre-pay fare systems. The infill stations proposed by the initiative have been built; however, the line still uses conventional commuter rail equipment.[8]
Additional proposals[edit]
The Indigo Line terminology was revived in 2023 within both Senate and House versions of a bill that would mandate the conversion of the MBTA's Fairmount Line to fully electrified operations by 2029 in order to effectively integrate the line with the MBTA’s rapid transit network under the Indigo Line banner.[9][10] The 2023 legislation diverges from a previous MBTA proposal from 2022 that suggested the procurement of battery multiple units for the Fairmount Line as opposed to full electrification.[11] The legislation was included in a Joint Committee on Transportation hearing on May 8, 2023, which has since been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.[12]
On March 16, 2024, MBTA Commuter Rail operator Keolis solicited a proposal that outlined the implementation of BEMU services on the Fairmount Line by FY 2027 as leverage for contract renewal; however, the MBTA has not reciprocated this motion as a formal project.[13]
Despite renewed legislative support, the Indigo Line has not been formally proposed as a MBTA project and is not in active development.[14]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "'Indigo Line' advocates keep pushing for a switch from commuter line to rapid transit".
- ^ "HISTORY OF THE FAIRMOUNT LINE". Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ^ Annear, Steve (January 9, 2014). "Take A Ride On The MBTA's 'New Indigo Line' In 2024". Boston Magazine. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
- ^ Quinn, Garrett (January 10, 2014). "MassDOT five-year plan includes introduction of Indigo Line, extension of Green Line". Springfield Republican. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
- ^ "WES Ridership and Fleet Requirements" (PDF). April 9, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ^ "Governor Patrick Announces Fairmount Line Service Upgrades". MassDOT Blog (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. October 16, 2014.
- ^ "Fairmount line setback: No DMUs says MBTA". The Bay State Banner. February 10, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Blue Hill Avenue Station Opens to Fairmount Line Customers on February 25 | News | MBTA". www.mbta.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ "Bill H.3315: An Act improving rail service on the Fairmount commuter rail line". The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Bill S.2271: An Act improving rail service on the Fairmount commuter rail line". The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Sawers, Alistar (June 23, 2022). "Regional Rail Transformation Update: Traction Power Planning for Regional and Urban Rail Services" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
- ^ "Bill H.3908". malegislature.gov. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "MBTA Plans Frequent-Running, Battery-Electric Trains on the Fairmount Line - Streetsblog Massachusetts". mass.streetsblog.org. March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ "Today: State House Transportation Committee to Discuss East-West Rail, T Oversight". StreetsblogMASS. May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.