Low floor LRVs for Boston's Green Line-technical features and challenges

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is responsible for providing for rapid and light rail, bus and trackless trolley, commuter boat and commuter rail services to a population of 2.6 million people, covering 1,038 square miles. The light rail service, known as the Green Line, is comprised of five service branches, serving 114 stations and/or passenger stops, ten of which are located in the central subway. The Green Line is an important rail link to both surface and rapid rail service, servicing approximately 220,000 passengers each weekday. In 1987, the MBTA began the process of making the Green Line, one of the oldest light rail systems in the world, a thoroughly modern and fully accessible system. In May of 1995, the Authority contracted Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie of Pistoia, Italy, to supply 100 low floor light rail vehicles (LRVs). The design of these cars, currently in progress by Breda, is overseen by the MBTA with the assistance of a technical consulting team led by Booz Allen and Hamilton Inc. This paper covers the challenges that this new rail car presents and describes the car's features.