View source for Mattapan Line

{{Short description|Light rail line in Boston and Milton, Massachusetts}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Mattapan Line
| other_name                      = Mattapan Trolley<br />Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line
| color                           = {{rcr|MBTA|Mattapan}}
| image                           = Ashmont Mattapan streetcar in woods.jpg
| image_width                     = 300px
| caption                         = PCC streetcar #3087 in Milton in 2008
| type                            = [[Light rail]]
| system                          = [[MBTA subway]]
| status                          = 
| locale                          = [[Boston]] and [[Milton, Massachusetts]]
| start                           = {{bts|Ashmont}}
| end                             = {{bts|Mattapan}}
| stations                        = 8
| daily_ridership                 = 3,823 (2023)<ref name=june2023 />
| open                            = August 26, 1929 (Ashmont to Milton)<br />December 21, 1929 (Milton to Mattapan)<ref name="netransit">{{NETransit}}</ref>
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[MBTA]]
| operator                        = 
| character                       = Private right-of-way (largely grade-separated)
| stock                           = [[PCC streetcar]]
| linelength                      = {{Convert|2.54|mi|km}}
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = 
| gauge                           = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| minradius                       = {{convert|43|ft|m|3|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_02.pdf|title=Applicability of Low-Floor Light Rail Vehicles in North America|author=((Transportation Research Board Executive Committee 1995))|publisher=US Federal Transit Administration|year=1995|access-date=11 August 2011}}</ref>
| electrification                 = {{600 V DC|conductor=overhead}}
| speed                           = 
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = {{switcher
|{{maplink-road|from=Mattapan Line.map}}
|Show interactive map
|{{Mattapan Line|inline=1}}
|Show route diagram map
}}
| map_state                       = 
}}

The '''Mattapan Line''' (alternatively the '''Mattapan Trolley''' and historically the '''Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line''') is a partially [[grade separation|grade-separated]] [[light rail]] line which forms part of the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|MBTA]]<nowiki>'s</nowiki> [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red Line]] rapid transit line. The line, which runs through [[Boston]] and [[Milton, Massachusetts]], opened on August 26, 1929, as a conversion of a former commuter rail line.  It exclusively uses [[PCC streetcar]]s built in the 1940s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/05/05/t-blacksmiths-apply-old-trade-to-new-work/|title=MBTA blacksmiths apply old trade to new work
|last=Cotter|first=Sean Philip|work=Boston Herald|location=Boston|date=May 5, 2019}}
* {{cite news|title=Mattapan trolleys getting 'state of the art' upgrade for new decade|last=Cotter|first=Sean Philip|work=Boston Herald| url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/05/04/mattapan-trolleys-getting-state-of-the-art-upgrade-for-new-decade/|date=May 4, 2019}}</ref> Passengers must transfer at [[Ashmont (MBTA station)|Ashmont]] to access the rest of the Red Line, which uses heavy rail metro rolling stock.

The trolley's {{convert|2.6|mile|km|adj=on}} route is used only by streetcars and has just two public grade crossings. All stations have [[railway platform height|low platforms]], but all except [[Valley Road (MBTA station)|Valley Road]] have been retrofitted with wheelchair lifts or wooden ramps for accessibility. Unlike most [[heritage streetcar]] lines, it is an integral part of the modern MBTA transit system rather than a tourist attraction. A rebuild of the line for modern light rail vehicles is planned.

==History==
===Commuter rail lines===
[[File:Central Avenue Railroad Station (16272505642).jpg|thumb|left|Central Avenue station in 1924]]
The [[Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad]] opened in December 1847 from Neponset on the [[Old Colony Railroad]] main line to [[Mattapan (NYNH&H station)|Mattapan station]] in Dorchester via Milton Mills (later Milton Lower Mills, then simply Milton). The line was immediately leased by the Old Colony as its Milton branch.<ref name=sne>{{cite book |title=The Rail Lines of Southern New England |last=Karr |first=Ronald Dale |publisher=Branch Line Press |year=1995 |isbn=0942147022 |pages=310–315}}</ref> The Old Colony built the [[Shawmut Branch Railroad]] from Harrison Square on the main line to Milton Lower Mills via Peabody Square in 1872.<ref name=sne /> Most Mattapan passenger service switched to use the new branch east of Milton, as it ran through dense urban neighborhoods rather than swamps.<ref name=150years>{{cite book |title=Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years |last1=Humphrey |first1=Thomas J.|last2=Clark |first2=Norton D. |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association |year=1985 |isbn=9780685412947 |page=95}}</ref> The Old Colony Railroad and its branches were acquired by the [[New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad]] in 1893.<ref name=sne />

When the [[Boston Elevated Railway]] (BERy) was first constructing its rapid transit [[Cambridge–Dorchester line]] in the early 1910s, plans called for the line to be extended south from [[Andrew (MBTA station)|Andrew]] to [[Codman Square District|Codman Square]] via [[Edward Everett Square]], Columbia Square, and Mount Bowdoin. The route would have paralleled the New Haven's Shawmut branch and [[Fairmount Line#History|Midland Division]].<ref name=redlinebook>{{cite book |title=Boston's Red Line: Bridging the Charles from Alewife to Braintree |last=Cheney |first=Frank |year=2002 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=9780738510477 |pages=6–8, 66–67}}</ref>{{rp|66}} By the end of that decade, however, passenger traffic on both New Haven-owned lines had been decimated by the BERy's network of electrified streetcar lines, which connected to rapid transit trains at {{bts|Forest Hills}}, {{bts|Egleston}}, {{bts|Dudley Square}}, and {{bts|Andrew}}. Around 1920, BERy reached an agreement with the New Haven and the Boston Transit Commission to pursue the Dorchester Circuit Plan.<ref name=redlinebook />{{rp|7}} Under that plan, a bidirectional rapid transit loop would run south from Andrew along the Old Colony main line, take over the Shawmut Branch and Milton branch to Mattapan, cut over to the Midland Division on a tunnel, and return to Andrew via the Midland Division right-of-way and another tunnel segment.<ref name=redlinebook />{{rp|67}}

===Rapid transit conversion===
[[File:Cedar Grove Station, built by City of Boston Transit Department, August 1929.jpg|thumb|left|A streetcar at Cedar Grove station in 1929]]
Although the Midland Branch served more populated areas, real estate deals along the Shawmut branch stood to benefit key state politicians. Construction of a rapid transit extension to Mattapan via the Shawmut branch was approved on March 23, 1923.<ref name=redlinebook />{{rp|8}}

Steam trains were discontinued in 1927 and the line was closed for two years while it was modified for streetcars. There was a debate at that time whether or not to continue subway trains from Boston to Ashmont onwards to Mattapan, but the cost of full-scale subway service was apparently too high for the [[Boston Elevated Railway]] which then operated it. The line opened from Ashmont to Milton on August 26, 1929, and from Milton to Mattapan on December 21, 1929.<ref name="netransit" /> [[Infill station]]s were opened at Capen Street in September 1930 and Butler on October 7, 1931.<ref name="netransit" /> 

In 1966, the Red Line designation was also applied to the line, which had been known as 28 Mattapan–Ashmont.<ref name="netransit" />{{Rp|page=316}} On March 18, 1968, the [[Neponset River]] flooded the line at {{bts|Milton}}. Restoration work began at 6:00 am on March 21 as the waters receded; service was resumed by 4:30 pm.<ref name="netransit" /><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/annualreportmass1968mass#page/n43/mode/2up |title=Fourth Annual Report (Covering the period October 1, 1967 – October 31, 1968) of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |page=218 |via=Internet Archive |year=1968}}</ref> In January 1981, the MBTA proposed to close the Mattapan Line at all times beginning that March due to severe budget issues.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38328446/the_boston_globe/ |title=Public Hearing Notice  |date=January 28, 1981 |author=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |newspaper=Boston Globe |page=65 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{open access}}</ref> The closure was cancelled, though the Mattapan line and the Ashmont branch were closed from June 20, 1981, to January 16, 1982, for track replacement and tunnel repairs.<ref name=netransit />

The line's longest shutdown took place from June 24, 2006, to December 22, 2007, with shuttle buses replacing streetcar service. A new elevated loop was built at Ashmont – part of a major reconstruction of the station – and the aging canopy at Mattapan was replaced. The intermediate stations were also rebuilt; all stations except Valley Road were made accessible.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2007-12-20/mattapan-trolley-re-opens |title=Mattapan Trolley Re-opens |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=December 20, 2007}}</ref> Buses again replaced service on the line from October 14–29, 2023, to allow for track work.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dumcius|first=Gintautas|date=August 24, 2023|title=MBTA to shut down Ashmont, Mattapan branches in October|work=Dorchester Reporter|url=https://www.dotnews.com/2023/mbta-shut-down-ashmont-mattapan-branches-october|access-date=September 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2023-08-24/mbta-expedite-critical-track-work-between-jfkumass-and-ashmont-stations-and-the |title=MBTA to Expedite Critical Track Work Between JFK/UMass and Ashmont Stations and on the Mattapan Line, Shuttle Buses to Replace Service on Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line October 14–29 |date=August 24, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

The MBTA launched the Mattapan Line Transformation project in 2019, though it was largely inactive until 2022.<ref>[https://www.mbta.com/projects/mattapan-line-transformation Mattapan Line Transformation]</ref> The project aims to replace the PCC trolleys with [[light rail vehicle]]s as the Green Line fleet turns over, restore the line's ability to operate during snowstorms, rebuild all eight stations, replace track and signals, and repair bridges. Rehabilitation of the existing fleet is happening at the same time, to extend trolley life a few more years until LRVs arrive.<ref>[https://www.dotnews.com/2022/sorrys-abound-mbta-gets-trolley-projects-back-track Sorrys abound as MBTA gets trolley projects back on track]</ref> By 2023, work was underway on 15% design. The 2007-built loop at Ashmont station will be removed as part of the project.<ref name=june2023>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2023-06/2023-06-20-mattapan-public-information-meeting_0.pdf |title=Mattapan Line Transformation Public Information Meeting |date=June 20, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

==Route==
[[File:Ashmont Mattapan High Speed Line map.svg|thumb|right|Geographical map of the line]]
The line begins and ends within the city of Boston, but most of the southern half of its route is in the northern part of the neighboring town of [[Milton, Massachusetts|Milton]]. It follows the right-of-way of two former [[Old Colony Railroad]] branches which had [[commuter rail]] service until the 1920s. Much of the route parallels the [[Neponset River]], crossing it twice. The right-of-way is owned by the MBTA and has only two [[level crossing|at-grade crossings]] on its {{convert|2.6|mi|km|adj=on}} route.<ref name="bluebook">{{MBTA Bluebook 2014}}</ref> Between Cedar Grove and Butler stations, the line runs through the center of the Cedar Grove Cemetery.

{{As of|July 2023}}, the line operates on 6 minute headways at weekday peak hours and 12–13 minute headways at other times.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/media/route_pdfs/batch_6559/SUBWAY-S3-P4.pdf |title=Rapid Transit |date=July 2, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

===Station listing===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Location
!Station
!Opened
!Notes and connections
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Dorchester, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Ashmont}}
|rowspan=2|August 26, 1929
|{{ric|MBTA|Subway|name=y}}: {{ric|MBTA|Red|name=y}}<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Ashmont}}<br>{{bus icon}} [[Brockton Area Transit Authority|BAT]]: {{MBTA other buses|Ashmont BAT}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Cedar Grove}}
|
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Butler}}
|October 7, 1931
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[Milton, Massachusetts|Milton]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Milton}}
|August 26, 1929
|{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Milton}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Central Avenue}}
|rowspan=2|December 21, 1929
|{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Central Avenue}}<br>{{bus icon}} BAT: {{MBTA other buses|Central Avenue BAT}}
|-
|{{bts|Valley Road}}
|
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Capen Street}}
|September 1930
|
|-
|[[Mattapan, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Mattapan}}
|December 21, 1929
|{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Mattapan}}
|}

==Accidents==
[[File:MBTA PCC Streetcar 3262.jpg|thumb|left|Streetcar #3262, which was wrecked in December 2017]]
On March 20, 1979, three trolleys collided between Central Avenue and Valley Road stations. The first two trolleys had stopped to avoid a police car, which had become stuck on the tracks while the officer was investigating teenagers drinking near the line. A third trolley was unable to stop in time while approaching around a blind curve; it slammed into the first two trolleys, causing injuries, but no deaths.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stuck cruiser set off three-trolley crash in Milton |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=March 21, 1979 |first=Isabel |last=Lonnies |page=20 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102378489/the-boston-globe/ |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Using funding from the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], the MBTA conducted a pilot test of technology similar to a [[collision avoidance system]] in an automobile, using [[radar]] and increasingly fast beeping to warn train operators of obstacles ahead. Like [[positive train control]], it would stop the train if the driver did not take action to avoid an impending collision.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20090702mbta_testing_trolley_collision-avoidance_system/srvc=home&position=recent |title=MBTA testing trolley collision-avoidance system |agency=Associated Press |date=2 July 2009 |newspaper=Boston Herald |access-date=11 August 2011}}</ref> If successful, the system would be considered for deployment on the [[Green Line (MBTA)|Green Line]], where multiple collisions had occurred in recent years.

On November 26, 2014, an out-of-service streetcar collided with an in-service streetcar near Cedar Grove. Seven people were injured.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/11/26/boston-trolleys-make-contact-reported-hurt/8KocmirLyYxS3gP4MYbqnO/story.html |title=Two MBTA Trolleys Collide, 7 People Reported Hurt |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=26 November 2014 |access-date=26 November 2014}}</ref>

On December 29, 2017, a collision between two in-service streetcars caused 17 injuries.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/12/30/operator-error-cause-mattapan-trolley-crash-mbta-says/9GXbc5Fm8SaN7LegvRAjoJ/story.html |title=Operator error cause of Mattapan trolley crash, MBTA says |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=December 30, 2017 |first=Evan |last=Allen}}</ref> The accident, caused by operator error, reduced the line to five operable streetcars.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Streetcars Collide on Mattapan-Ashmont Line |page=6 |magazine=Rollsign |publisher=[[Boston Street Railway Association]] |date=November–December 2017 |volume=54 |issue=11/12}}</ref>
{{clear left}}

==Rolling stock==
[[File:Boston3250.jpg|thumb|left|PCC streetcar 3260 in the older green paint scheme at Ashmont in 1999]]
The [[rolling stock]] consists of rebuilt [[PCC streetcar]]s, which were formerly part of a fleet shared with the [[Green Line (MBTA)|Green Line]]. The historic rolling stock is retained largely because the line, built for 1920s streetcars, would have to be substantially rebuilt to accommodate the heavier modern cars used on the Green Line.<ref name=nyc>{{cite web |url= http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/MBTA_Mattapan-Ashmont_Line |title= MBTA Mattapan-Ashmont Line |last1=O'Regan |first1=Gerry |last2= Pickering |first2=Bo |publisher=NYCsubway.org |access-date= 21 March 2016}}</ref> In order to clear the line of snow, the MBTA maintains a [[Winter service vehicle#Jet-powered snow blower|jet engine-powered snowblower]], officially the Portec RMC Hurricane Jet Snow Blower, model RP-3, dubbed "Snowzilla". Snowzilla weighs {{convert|26000|lb}}, measures 8 by 12 by 27 feet, and is powered by a [[Westinghouse J34]] [[turbojet]] engine. It uses approximately {{convert|500|USgal}} of jet fuel per line clearing run. Other T lines simply run regular trains to clear the tracks of snow, but the PCC cars' [[traction motor]]s would short out if they were used for that purpose.<ref name="Snowzilla vs. winter’s fury">{{cite web |url= http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/01/23/mbtas_mattapan_line_relies_on_snowzilla_in_worst_weather/ |title= Snowzilla vs. winter's fury |publisher= Boston.com |date= January 23, 2011 |access-date= February 20, 2015 |author= Eric Moskowitz}}</ref>

The current set of PCC cars are "Wartime" PCCs, built by [[Pullman-Standard]] in 1945–46. They have been in continuous revenue service in Boston since their construction, although PCC cars were not assigned to the Mattapan Line until 1955.<ref name=nyc /> The current fleet was rebuilt as part of a systemwide PCC rebuild program in 1978–83, and again in 1999–2005.<ref name=roster>{{cite web |url=http://www.transithistory.org/roster/ |title=The MBTA Vehicle Inventory Page |publisher=NETransit |date=21 March 2016 |access-date=21 March 2016}}</ref> During the latter rebuild, the cars were repainted from their former Green Line paint scheme to a brighter orange and cream design, similar to their original coloring.<ref name=nyc /> The cars also carry a unique geographic MBTA logo, reminiscent of the old Metropolitan Transit Authority map logo found on the cars between 1948 and 1955.<ref name=equipment>{{cite book |title=Boston Transit Equipment 1979–2009 |last=Prescott |first=Michael R. |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association |date=11 October 2009 |isbn=9780938315063 |page=31}}</ref> [[Air-conditioning]] was added to the PCC cars in 2008.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Belcher |first=Jonathan |title=PCC Fleet Changes |page=11 |magazine=Rollsign |publisher=[[Boston Street Railway Association]] |date=January–February 2009 |volume=46 |issue=1/2 |issn=-0035-7898}}</ref>

[[File:Type 9 on Reservoir yard leads, March 2022.JPG|thumb|right|Type 9 LRVs on the Green Line; these are planned to replace the PCC streetcars]]
On several occasions, the MBTA has proposed to replace the PCC streetcars either with newer trolleys or with buses, and has met with substantial community opposition on each occasion. The FY2017-FY2021 Capital Investment Plan, approved by the MassDOT board in June 2016, allocated $9 million to the line including $3.7 million for maintaining the PCC cars. The plan also allocated $5 million for "PCC Car Replacement-Alternative Service" which was to be used for future funding should an alternate form of transportation be decided upon.<ref name=locks>{{cite news |url=http://www.dotnews.com/2016/state-budget-plan-locks-trolley-fairmount-spending |title=State budget plan locks in trolley, Fairmount spending |newspaper=Dorchester Reporter |date=6 July 2016 |first=Jennifer |last=Smith |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> In 2017, MBTA began a $7.9 million project to overhaul the trolleys and update the propulsion systems, but further problems such as fluctuations in power damaged the four operating trains in early 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mbta.com/sites/default/files/fmcb-meeting-docs/2017/february/022717-state-of-the-line-report-mattapan-high-speed-line.pdf |title=State of the Line Report: Mattapan High Speed Line |date=February 27, 2017 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/02/01/mattapan-trolleys-out-service-due-propulsion-problems-that-wont-fixed-quickly-says/T26X1c569iEP6UaNBhVBvK/story.html |title=Mattapan trolleys out of service due to 'propulsion problems' |date=February 1, 2018 |first=Laney |last=Ruckstuhl |newspaper=Boston Globe |access-date=February 9, 2018 |archive-date=February 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204165410/http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/02/01/mattapan-trolleys-out-service-due-propulsion-problems-that-wont-fixed-quickly-says/T26X1c569iEP6UaNBhVBvK/story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> On February 5, 2018, it was reported that eight more trolleys were going to re-enter service in 2019, the fixes will prolong the lifespan of the trains by another 7 to 8 years.<ref name="Feb 2018 update">{{cite news |url= http://www.patriotledger.com/news/20180205/after-breakdown-t-vows-to-keep-mattapan-trolleys-running|title=After breakdown, T vows to keep Mattapan trolleys running|author=Neal Simpson|newspaper=The Patriot Ledger|date=February 5, 2018|access-date=February 7, 2018}}</ref> After several delays, the first rebuilt trolley entered service in March 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcboston.com/investigations/after-long-delay-first-renovated-historic-mbta-trolley-hits-the-tracks/2675188/|title=After Long Delay, First Renovated Historic MBTA Trolley Hits the Tracks|date=March 21, 2022 }}</ref>

The MBTA also announced in 2018 that it was studying alternatives again to running trolleys.<ref name="Feb 2018 update"/> Alternatives that were being considered were further repairs of the existing PCC cars, procurement of new replicas of historic cars, and turning the line into a busway.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://cdn.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/Board_Meetings/Mattapan%20PCC(final2-27-17).pdf |title= State of the Line Report: Mattapan High Speed Line |date= February 27, 2017 |publisher= Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |access-date= June 11, 2018 |archive-date= June 12, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142557/https://cdn.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/Board_Meetings/Mattapan%20PCC(final2-27-17).pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref> Local politicians and citizens who live along the line have voiced their concerns over the potential conversion of the line into a busway and prefer that the route be maintained as using rail technology. In January 2019, eventual conversion for use of new light rail vehicles (or [[MBTA CAF USA Type 9|Type 9 LRVs]] transferred from the [[Green Line (MBTA)|Green Line]]) was reported to be the most viable option.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/fmcb-meeting-docs/2019/01-january/2019-01-28-fmcb-mattapan-original.pdf |title=Transformation of the Mattapan High Speed Line: The Path to Accessible, Reliable, and Modern Transportation |date=January 2019 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, the MBTA plans to have Type 9 LRVs replace the PCC streetcars.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dotnews.com/2024/t-moving-ahead-trolley-line-upgrade |title=MBTA filings show its moving ahead with trolley line upgrades |first=Bill | last=Forry |date=March 20, 2024 |newspaper=Dorchester Reporter |access-date=July 29, 2024}}</ref>

{{clear left}}

===Fleet===
The Mattapan Line fleet of PCC streetcars consist of ten units, of which 6 are in service. Of the six in service, 3 have been rebuilt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://roster.transithistory.org/|title=The MBTA Vehicle Inventory Page|work=Roster|accessdate=October 6, 2021}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Car #
! class="unsortable"| Image
! Status
|-
| 3087
| [[File:Ashmont Mattapan streetcar in woods.jpg|100px]]
| {{active}}
|-
| 3230
| [[File:Inbound streetcar at Central Avenue station, August 2018.jpg|100px]]
| align="center"|Held for truck work
|-
| 3234
| [[File:MBTA 3234 in Mattapan Yard, March 2016.JPG|100px]]
| {{active}}, Rebuilt
|-
| 3238
| [[File:Inbound streetcar at Central Avenue station, July 2019.JPG|100px]]
| align="center"| Held for [[Bogie|truck work]], currently being rebuilt
|-
| 3254
| [[File:Mattapan M Line Trolley 3254.jpg|100px]]
| align="center"| Held for truck work, currently being rebuilt
|-
| 3260
| [[File:PCC streetcar 3260 at Mattapan Station.jpg|100px]]
| {{active}}, Rear end rebuilt after 12/2017 collision
|-
| 3262
| [[File:MBTA 3262 at Mattapan Carhouse, December 2018.JPG|100px]]
| align="center"| Wrecked beyond repair. Rear end removed to repair 3260, although not used. To be scrapped at a later date.<br>{{small|(2017 collision)}}
|-
| 3263
| [[File:MBTA 3263 at Capen Street, March 2016.JPG|100px]]
| {{active}}
|-
| 3265
| [[File:Car 3265 MBTA Red Line.jpg|100px]]
| {{active}}, Rebuilt
|-
| 3268
| [[File:Two streetcars at Butler station, May 2018.jpg|100px]]
| {{active}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML}}
{{Commons category inline}}
*[https://www.mbta.com/schedules/Mattapan/line MBTA – Mattapan Trolley]

{{MBTA}}
{{Massachusetts-Rhode Island transit agencies}}
{{USLightRail}}
{{North American legacy streetcar systems}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mattapan Line}}
[[Category:1929 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Streetcars in the Boston area]]
[[Category:Old Colony Railroad lines]]
[[Category:Red Line (MBTA)]]
[[Category:Light rail in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge railways in the United States]]
[[Category:600 V DC railway electrification]]