View source for Orange Line (MBTA)

{{short description|Rapid transit line in Greater Boston}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Orange Line
| color                           = {{rcr|MBTA|Orange}}
| image                           = Haymarket Southbound MBTA Orange Line Platform (1), May 2024.jpg
| image_width                     = 300px
| caption                         = A southbound Orange Line train at [[Haymarket station (MBTA)|Haymarket station]] in 2024
| type                            = [[Rapid transit]]
| system                          = [[MBTA subway]]
| status                          = <!--only use when not operational-->
| locale                          = [[Greater Boston]]
| start                           = {{bts|Oak Grove}}
| end                             = {{bts|Forest Hills}}
| stations                        = 20
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 105,000 (2023)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/sites/default/files/2024-08/7.%20History%20of%20Funding%20Updated%20V16%208.21.24.pdf |date=August 22, 2024 |first1=Mary Ann |last1=O'Hara |first2=Pat |last2=Turners |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |page=2 |title=History of Funding Update}}</ref>
| open                            = June 10, 1901
| close                           = 
| owner                           = 
| operator                        = [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]]
| character                       = 
| stock                           = [[CRRC]] #14 Orange Line cars
| linelength                      = {{cvt|11|mi|km}}
| tracks                          = 
| gauge                           = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| electrification                 = {{600 V DC|conductor=third rail}}
| speed                           = 
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = {{switcher
|{{maplink-road|from=Orange Line (MBTA).map}}
|Show interactive map
|{{MBTA Orange Line|inline=1}}
|Show route diagram map
}}
| box_width                       = auto
}}

The '''Orange Line''' is a [[rapid transit]] line operated by the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] (MBTA) as part of the [[MBTA subway]] system. The line runs south on the surface from [[Oak Grove station]] in [[Malden, Massachusetts]] through Malden and [[Medford, Massachusetts|Medford]], paralleling the [[Haverhill Line]], then crosses the [[Mystic River]] on a bridge into [[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]], then into [[Charlestown, Boston|Charlestown]]. It passes under the [[Charles River]] and runs through [[Downtown Boston]] in the Washington Street Tunnel. The line returns to the surface in the [[South End, Boston|South End]], then follows the [[Southwest Corridor (Boston)|Southwest Corridor]] southwest in a cut through [[Roxbury, Massachusetts|Roxbury]] and [[Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts|Jamaica Plain]] to [[Forest Hills station (MBTA)|Forest Hills station]].

The Orange Line operates during normal MBTA service hours (all times except late nights) with six-car trains. It uses a 152-car [[CRRC]] fleet built in 2018–2024. The Orange Line is fully grade-separated and trains are driven by operators with [[automatic train control]] for safety. Wellington Carhouse in Medford is used for heavy maintenance and storage; a small yard at Forest Hills is also used for storage. All 20 Orange Line stations are fully [[MBTA accessibility|accessible]]. Averaging 105,000 weekday passengers in 2023, the Orange Line has the second-highest ridership of the MBTA subway lines.

The Orange Line originated as the Main Line Elevated of the [[Boston Elevated Railway]], which was built in 1901. It consisted of the [[Charlestown Elevated]], [[Atlantic Avenue Elevated]], [[Washington Street Elevated]], and a portion of the previously built [[Tremont Street subway]]. All of the original route has been replaced, beginning with the Washington Street Tunnel replacing the Tremont Street subway in 1908. The Washington Street Elevated was extended from {{bts|Dudley Square}} to Forest Hills in 1909, with an [[infill station]] at {{bts|Green Street}} in 1912; the Charlestown Elevated was extended from {{bts|Sullivan Square}} to {{bts|Everett}} in 1919. The Atlantic Avenue Elevated was closed in 1938.

The newly formed MBTA assigned colors to its subway lines in 1965, with the Main Line becoming the Orange Line. The Charlestown Elevated was closed in 1975; it was replaced by the [[Haymarket North Extension]], which opened in phases from 1975 to 1977. The Southwest Corridor replaced the Washington Street Elevated in 1987, using an alignment originally intended for [[Interstate 95]], completing the modern Orange Line alignment. The downtown stations were lengthened in the 1980s to allow six-car trains. Accessibility modifications began with some of those stations and were completed in 2005. {{bts|Assembly}} opened as an infill station in 2014.

The Orange Line struggled with reliability issues, including aging infrastructure and trains, throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s. Several prominent incidents occurred in 2022 alone, despite the then-underway fleet replacement. Accelerated repairs took place across the entire Orange Line from August 19 to September 18, 2022, and again across different segments of the line throughout 2024.

==History==
{{see also|History of the MBTA}}

===Construction===
[[File:Charlestown El on Charlestown Bridge.jpg|thumb|left|220px|The Charlestown El running over the Charlestown Bridge]]
The Main Line of the electric [[Boston Elevated Railway]] opened in segments, starting in 1901. It proceeded from [[Sullivan Square]] along the [[Charlestown Elevated]] to the [[Canal Street incline]] near [[North Station]]. It was carried underground by the [[Tremont Street subway]] (now part of the [[Green Line (MBTA)|Green Line]]), returning above ground at the [[Pleasant Street incline]] (now closed, located just south of [[Boylston station]]). A temporary link connected from there to the [[Washington Street Elevated]], which in 1901 ran from this point via Washington Street to Dudley Square (which is most of what is now Phase 1 of the [[Silver Line (MBTA)|Silver Line]]).

Also in 1901, the [[Atlantic Avenue Elevated]] opened, branching at Causeway Street to provide an alternate route through downtown Boston (along the shoreline, where today there is no rail transit) to the Washington Street Elevated.

In 1908, a new '''Washington Street Tunnel''' opened, allowing Main Line service to travel from the [[Charlestown Elevated]], underground via an additional new portal at the [[Canal Street incline]], under downtown Boston and back up again to meet the Washington Street Elevated and Atlantic Avenue Elevated near [[Chinatown, Boston|Chinatown]]. The stations were richly decorated with tile work, mosaics, and copper; after criticism of the large [[Tremont Street subway]] headhouses, most entrances were comparatively modest and set into buildings.<ref name=newboston>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Es9AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA307 |title=Rapid Transit and Civic Beauty |magazine=New Boston |date=November 1910 |volume=1 |issue=7 |pages=307–314 |first=Frederick W. |last=Coburn |via=Google Books}}</ref> Use of the parallel Tremont Street subway was returned exclusively to [[streetcar]]s.

By 1909, the Washington Street Elevated had been extended south to {{bts|Forest Hills}}. Trains from Washington Street were routed through the new subway, either all the way to Sullivan Square, or back around in a loop via the subway and then the Atlantic Avenue Elevated.

In 1919, the same year that the Atlantic Avenue Elevated was partially damaged in Boston's [[Great Molasses Flood]], the Charlestown Elevated was extended north from Sullivan Square to [[Everett, Massachusetts|Everett station]], over surface right-of-way parallel to [[Massachusetts Route 99|Alford Street/Broadway]], with a [[Movable bridge|drawbridge]] over the [[Mystic River]].<ref name=netransit /> The Boston Elevated had long-term plans to continue this extension further north to [[Malden, Massachusetts|Malden]], a goal which would only be achieved decades later, under [[MBTA|public ownership]] and not via the Everett route.

===Closure of Atlantic Avenue Elevated and ownership changes===
[[File:Rowes Wharf Station (13083218675).jpg|thumb|left|Rowes Wharf station on the Atlantic Avenue Elevated in 1942 – four years after closure – just before being demolished]]
Following a 1928 accident at a tight curve on Beach Street, the southern portion of the [[Atlantic Avenue Elevated]], between South Station and Tower D on Washington Street, was closed (except for rush-hour trips from Dudley to North Station via the Elevated), breaking the loop; non-rush-hour Atlantic Avenue service was reduced to a shuttle between North and South Stations.<ref name="netransit">{{cite web|url=http://www.transithistory.org/roster/MBTARouteHistory.pdf|title=Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district|last=Belcher|first=Jonathan|date=June 27, 2015|publisher=NETransit|access-date=August 5, 2015}}</ref>  In 1938, the remainder of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated was closed, leaving the subway as the only route through downtown – what is now the Orange Line between {{bts|Haymarket}} and {{bts|Chinatown}} stations.

Ownership of the railway was transferred from the private Boston Elevated Railway to the public Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in 1947; the MTA was itself reconstituted as the modern [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] (MBTA) in 1964.

On December 5, 1960, the MTA began operating "[[Skip-stop|modified express service]]" on the line during the morning rush hour. Every other train bypassed Green Street, Egleston (southbound) or Northampton (northbound), Dover, and Thompson Square stations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/137739096/ |title=MTA Advisory Board Supports Cuts |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=December 1, 1960 |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/137739121/ 15] |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/137738706/ |title=M.T.A. Express Train Gets 'A' From Riders |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=December 5, 1960 |page=13 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> This was discontinued in September 1961 to reduce wait times at the skipped stations, all of which were outdoors.<!--All of the bypassed Everett–Forest Hills stations were outdoors; the Cambridge–Dorchester Line had Shawmut indoors--><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/137738740/ |title=M.T.A. Dropping Morning Express |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=September 27, 1961 |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

===Orange Line naming===
[[File:Tile mosaic at Boylston Street station, October 1914.jpg|thumb|left|Station sign at Boylston Street (now Chinatown) station in 1914. In 1967, the station was renamed Essex to avoid confusion with the preexisting [[Boylston station|Green Line station]] a block away.]]
The line was known as the '''Main Line Elevated''' under the [[Boston Elevated Railway]], and the '''Forest Hills–Everett Elevated''' (Route 2 on maps<ref>{{cite map |title=System Route Map |date=1966 |title-link=:commons:File:1966 MBTA system map.png |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |first=Richard F. |last=Lufkin |via=Wikimedia Commons}}</ref>) under the [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Boston)|Metropolitan Transportation Authority]].

After taking over operations in August 1964, the MBTA began rebranding many elements of Boston's public transportation network. Colors were assigned to the rail lines on August 26, 1965, as part of a wider modernization developed by [[Cambridge Seven Associates]]. [[Peter Chermayeff]] assigned [[Red Line (MBTA)|red]], [[Green Line (MBTA)|green]], and [[Blue Line (MBTA)|blue]] to the other three lines based on geographic features; however, according to Chermayeff, the Main Line El "ended up being orange for no particular reason beyond color balance."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.citylab.com/design/2018/09/how-boston-got-its-t/570004/ |title=How Boston Got Its 'T' |magazine=[[CityLab (web magazine)|CityLab]] |quote=I remember sitting in my Cambridge office preparing for a meeting with the MBTA in which I would be proposing colored lines. I had markers in front of me and I chose red for the line that went to Harvard since it’s a well-known institution whose main color is crimson. One line went up the North Shore of Boston up to the coastal areas, so it seemed obvious to call that the Blue Line. The line that serves Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace was an obvious choice for green. And then the fourth line ended up being orange for no particular reason beyond color balance. |date=September 17, 2018 |first=Mark |last=Byrnes}}</ref> The firm originally planned for yellow instead of orange, but yellow was rejected after testing because yellow text was difficult to read on a white background.<ref name=111th>{{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721150920/http://archive.boston.com/yourtown/boston/downtown/gallery/orange_line_111th_anniversary?pg=11 |archive-date=July 21, 2017 |url=http://archive.boston.com/yourtown/boston/downtown/gallery/orange_line_111th_anniversary?pg=11 |title=MBTA Orange Line's 111th anniversary |last=Ba Tran |first=Andrew |date=June 2012 |newspaper=Boston Globe |quote=The Everett-Forest Hills Main Line Elevated was renamed the Orange Line on Aug. 25, 1965. The name comes from a section of Washington Street between Essex and Dover streets that had the name Orange Street until the early 19th century, said Clarke. However, according to architecture firm Cambridge Seven Associates, the Orange Line's color was a design choice after the yellow color option did not test well.}}</ref> (Yellow was later used for [[MBTA bus]] service). The MBTA and transit historians later claimed that orange came from Orange Street, an early name for what is now part of Washington Street.<ref name=chronicle>{{cite book |url=http://web.mit.edu/cron/project/uncertainty/Dowd_Data/Baum_Snow/boston-history.txt |title=A Chronicle of the Boston Transit System |year=1992 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |via=MIT |last=Sanborn |first=George M. |access-date=2016-01-19 |archive-date=2019-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127202604/http://web.mit.edu/cron/project/uncertainty/Dowd_Data/Baum_Snow/boston-history.txt |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Smart_Forms/News,_Events_and_Press_Releases/Curiosity_Carcard-opt9a-FINAL.pdf |title=Curiosity Carcards |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |year=2012 |access-date=2018-09-18 |archive-date=2018-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613112006/https://cdn.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Smart_Forms/News,_Events_and_Press_Releases/Curiosity_Carcard-opt9a-FINAL.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=111th />

In January and February 1967, the four original Washington Street Tunnel stations were renamed. Transfer stations were given the same name for all lines: Winter and Summer stations plus Washington on the Red Line became Washington, Milk and State plus Devonshire on the Blue Line became {{bts|State Street}} after the cross street, and Union and Friend plus Haymarket Square on the Green Line became {{bts|Haymarket}} after [[Haymarket Square (Boston)|Haymarket Square]].<ref name=netransit /> Boylston Street was renamed Essex to avoid confusion with nearby [[Boylston station]] on the Green Line.<ref name=netransit />
[[File:Boston MTA 0969 at City Square in 1958.jpg|thumb|A train at City Square station in 1958]]
In May 1987, Essex was renamed {{bts|Chinatown}} after the adjacent [[Chinatown, Boston|Chinatown neighborhood]], and Washington renamed {{bts|Downtown Crossing}} after the [[Downtown Crossing|adjacent shopping district]].<ref name=netransit /> In March 2010, New England Medical Center station was renamed as {{bts|Tufts Medical Center}} two years after [[Tufts Medical Center|the eponymous hospital]] changed its name.<ref name=netransit />

===Rerouting of Charlestown and Everett service===
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2023}}[[Image:Main Line Elevated.jpg|thumb|Map of the original Main Line Elevated and related lines]]
The [[Boston Transportation Planning Review]] looked at the line in the 1970s, considering extensions to reach the [[Massachusetts Route 128|Route 128]] [[beltway]], with termini at [[Reading, Massachusetts|Reading]] in the north and [[Dedham, Massachusetts|Dedham]] in the south. As a result of this review, the [[Charlestown Elevated]] – which served the [[Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts|Charlestown]] neighborhood north of downtown Boston and the inner suburb of [[Everett, Massachusetts|Everett]] – was demolished and replaced in 1975.

The '''Haymarket North Extension''' rerouted the Orange Line through an [[Haymarket North Extension|underwater crossing]] of the [[Charles River]]. Service in Charlestown was replaced with service along [[Boston and Maine]] tracks routed partially beneath an elevated section of [[Interstate 93]], ultimately to {{bts|Wellington}} and then to {{bts|Oak Grove}} in [[Malden, Massachusetts]], instead of Everett. Rail service to Everett was replaced with buses.

The extension was unique among Boston transit lines as it contained a third express track between Wellington and Community College stations. These stations, along with Sullivan Sq, have two island platform stations as opposed to the more normal single island stations found on the southern side of the Orange Line. This express track was designed for the never-built extension north of Oak Grove to Reading. The third track would have allowed peak-direction express service as well as places to terminate trains. Service north of Oak Grove was planned to have longer headways to account for the lower projected ridership. This extension was opposed by residents of Melrose who preferred restored commuter rail service. Because of this, the express track ends at Wellington and a single commuter rail track continues parallel to the Orange Line north to Reading.

===Closure of Washington Street Elevated===
[[File:ELEVATED RAILROAD STRUCTURE AND BLIGHTED AREA BELOW WASHINGTON STREET SOUTH FROM THE CORNER OF BARTLETT - NARA - 550012.tif|thumb|left|View under Washington Street Elevated, looking south from Bartlett Street (1973)]]
Construction of [[Interstate 95 in Massachusetts|Interstate 95]] into downtown Boston was cancelled in 1972 after [[Freeway revolt|local protest]] over the necessary demolition. However, land for I-95's [[Southwest Corridor (Boston)|Southwest Corridor]] through [[Roxbury, Massachusetts|Roxbury]] had already been cleared of buildings; moreover, the state had already committed to using this vacant land for transportation purposes.<ref name=bosrds>{{cite web|last=Anderson|first=Steve|title=Southwest Expressway (I-95, unbuilt)|url=http://www.bostonroads.com/roads/southwest/|work=bostonroads.com|access-date=August 3, 2013}}</ref> As a result, instead of an 8-lane Interstate highway with a relocated Orange Line running in its median (in a manner similar to the [[Chicago Transit Authority]]'s [[Dan Ryan branch|Dan Ryan]], [[Blue Line (CTA)|Congress, and O'Hare branches]]), the space would be occupied by the realigned Orange Line, a reconstructed three-track mainline for [[Amtrak]]'s [[Northeast Corridor]] and [[MBTA Commuter Rail]] trains, and [[Southwest Corridor Park|a linear park]].  After this re-routing was accomplished in 1987, the Washington Street Elevated was torn down, the last major segment of the original elevated line to be demolished.

[[File:South_Bay_Tunnel_junction_Dec_2024.jpg|thumb|right|The modern view from the platform at {{bts|Chinatown}} shows the remains of the Washington Street Tunnel that led to the Elevated in the distance. In the foreground, the tracks curve rightward into the [[Southwest Corridor (Boston)|Southwest Corridor]].]]
Between April 30 and May 3, 1987, the [[Washington Street Elevated]] south of the [[Chinatown station (MBTA)|Chinatown station]] was closed to allow the Orange Line to be tied into the new Southwest Corridor. On May 4, 1987, the Orange Line was rerouted from the southern end of the Washington Street Tunnel onto the new Southwest Corridor. Instead of rising up to elevated tracks, it now veered west at the [[Massachusetts Turnpike]] and followed the Pike and the old [[Boston and Albany Railroad]] right-of-way to the existing [[MBTA Commuter Rail]] stop at {{bts|Back Bay}}. It then continued along new tracks, partially covered and partially open but depressed, to {{bts|Forest Hills}}. This MBTA right-of-way is also shared by [[Amtrak]] as part of the national [[Northeast Corridor]] intercity passenger rail service.
{{external media | width = 210px | float = right | video1 = [http://bostonlocaltv.org/catalog/V_K8BUH3FQFLF84AV Orange Line El Stations], 11:42, April 30, 1987, Boston TV Digital News<ref name="BTVDN">{{cite web | title =Orange Line El Stations | work =Boston TV Digital News | publisher =[[WGBH Educational Foundation|WGBH]] | date = April 30, 1987| url =http://bostonlocaltv.org/catalog/V_K8BUH3FQFLF84AV | access-date =September 15, 2016 }}</ref> }}

While ending more or less at the same terminus (Forest Hills), the new routing passes significantly to the west of its previous route on Washington Street; local residents were promised "equal or better" replacement service. Originally, plans provided for [[light rail vehicle]]s [[street running]] in mixed traffic, from Washington Street to Dudley Square, then diverting southeastward on Warren Street towards Dorchester. In 2002, Phase 1 of the [[Silver Line (MBTA)|Silver Line]] [[bus rapid transit]] was added to connect Washington Street to the downtown subways, attempting to address this service need. This replacement service was controversial, as many residents preferred the return of rail transportation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/03/02/RDMreport.pdf|title=Roxbury-Dorchester-Mattapan Transit Needs Study|date=September 2012|page=53 |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation|access-date=October 4, 2017}}</ref>

===Station renovations===
In the mid-1980s, the MBTA spent $80 million to extend the platforms of seven Red Line and three Orange Line stations ({{bts|Essex}}, [[Downtown Crossing station|Washington]], and {{bts|State}}) to allow the use of six-car trains.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/annualreportmas1985mass_0 |title=1985 Annual Report |year=1985 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |page=[https://archive.org/details/annualreportmas1985mass_0/page/13 13] |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Washington and State were made fully accessible, as was the northbound platform at Essex. The Southwest Corridor stations opened in 1987 were all fully [[accessible]]. Six-car trains entered service on August 18, 1987.<ref name=netransit /> {{bts|Oak Grove}} was also renovated around 1987.<ref name=2007doc>{{cite web |url=https://old.mbta.com/uploadedFiles/Accessibility/final%20report%20082407%20on%20CD.pdf |title=Evaluation of MBTA Paratransit and Accessible Fixed Route Transit Services: Final Report |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |author=Tran Systems and Planners Collaborative |date=August 24, 2007}}</ref>

This left only {{bts|Haymarket}}, five stations on the Haymarket North Extension, and the southbound platform at Chinatown inaccessible by the 1990 passage of the [[Americans with Disabilities Act]].<ref name=bluebook1990>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/ridershipservice990mass |edition=3 |title=Ridership and Service Statistics |date=November 1990 |pages=1–4 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |author=Operations Directorate Planning Division |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Construction at {{bts|Sullivan Square}} and {{bts|Wellington}} began in 1991.<ref name=chronicle /> {{bts|Haymarket}} was retrofitted with elevators in 2000.<ref name=2007doc /> The 1975-built {{bts|North Station|Orange}} was expanded into a "superstation" with a cross-platform transfer to the Green Line; elevators were in installed in 2001, though the Green Line did not use the station until 2004.<ref name=2007doc /><ref name=netransit /> The southbound platform at Chinatown was made accessible in 2002.<ref name=atthet>{{cite web |url=https://old.mbta.com/uploadedFiles/documents/Accessibility_at_the_T.pdf |title=Accessibility Projects at the MBTA |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=March 2005}}</ref><ref name=2007doc /> Renovations to {{bts|Community College}} and {{bts|Malden Center}} were completed in 2005, making the Orange Line the first of the four original [[MBTA subway]] lines to become fully accessible.<ref name=atthet />
{{Clear}}

===Assembly===
[[File:Trains at Assembly station from north headhouse, September 2014.JPG|thumb|right|Assembly station on its first day of service in September 2014]]
{{main|Assembly station}}
In the early 2000s, [[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]] began planning an [[infill]] station between {{bts|Sullivan}} and {{bts|Wellington}} to serve the new [[Assembly Square]] development. The $57 million station was funded by the state's Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, FTA Section 5309 New Starts program, and Federal Realty Investment Trust (the developer of Assembly Square).<ref name=globe>{{cite news |title=MBTA board OK's millions for stations |url=http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-06/news/30253264_1_blue-line-orange-line-red-line |newspaper=Boston Globe |author=Moskowitz, Eric |date=October 6, 2011 |access-date=October 7, 2011 |archive-date=May 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527221928/http://articles.boston.com/2011-10-06/news/30253264_1_blue-line-orange-line-red-line |url-status=dead }}</ref> Construction began in late 2011 and finished in mid 2014.<ref name=tuftsdaily>{{cite news |url=http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/construction-on-assembly-square-t-stop-to-begin-later-this-fall-1.2659745#.T9gJtLWvKSq |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204172940/http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/construction-on-assembly-square-t-stop-to-begin-later-this-fall-1.2659745 |archive-date=December 4, 2011 |title=Construction on Assembly Square T stop to begin later this fall |newspaper=Tufts Daily |author=Coughlin, Kerri |date=October 25, 2011 |access-date=June 13, 2012}}</ref> The new station, {{bts|Assembly}}, opened on September 2, 2014.<ref name=sept2>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2014/08/27/somerville-new-assembly-square-mbta-station-open-next-week/SgjW9ub8Oil5uDXXbeK5OO/story.html |title=Somerville's New Assembly Square MBTA Station to Open Next Week |newspaper=Boston Globe |author=Hofherr, Justine |date=August 27, 2014 |access-date=August 27, 2014}}</ref> It was the first new station on the MBTA subway system since 1987.<ref name=sept2 />

===Reliability issues and repairs===
During the [[2014–15 North American winter#Northeastern United States|unusually brutal winter of 2014–2015]], the entire MBTA system was shut down on several occasions by heavy snowfalls. The aboveground sections of the Orange and Red lines were particularly vulnerable due to their exposed third rail, which iced over during storms. When a single train stopped due to power loss, other trains soon stopped as well; without continually running trains pushing snow off the rails, the lines were quickly covered in snow. (Because the Blue Line was built with overhead lines on its surface section due to its proximity to corrosive salt air, it was not subject to icing issues.)
[[File:Fenced-off faregates at Back Bay station, September 2022.jpg|thumb|left|Fenced-off faregates at Back Bay during the August–September 2022 closure]]
Starting in 2015, the MBTA began implementing its $83.7 million Winter Resiliency Program, much of which focused on preventing similar issues with the Orange and Red lines. The [[Southwest Corridor (Boston)|Southwest Corridor]] section of the Orange Line is located in a trench and is protected from the worst weather, but the 1970s-built [[Haymarket North Extension]] had older infrastructure and was in worse shape. From {{bts|Sullivan Square}} north, it is exposed to the weather and largely built on an embankment, rendering it more vulnerable. That section is receiving new heated third rail, switch heaters, and snow fences to reduce the impacts of inclement weather.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/business/news/2015/09/23/how-the-mbta-getting-winter-ready/SeTjLsOSUUZ1nGlIAc5p3N/story.html |title=Winter is coming, and the MBTA is getting ready |newspaper=Boston Globe |last=Vaccaro |first=Adam |date=September 23, 2015 |access-date=October 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=6442454500&month=&year |title=Gov. Baker Announces $83.7 Million MBTA Winter Resiliency Plan |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=June 4, 2015}}</ref> The work requires [[bustitution]] of the line from Sullivan Square to Oak Grove on certain weeknights and weekends.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=6442454945&month=&year= |title=Winter Resiliency Work Continues on the Red Line: WEEKEND TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN JFK/UMASS AND QUINCY CENTER SUSPENDED |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=September 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Weekend Orange Line Service Suspended between Sullivan and North Stations |work=MBTA Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2386 |access-date=November 3, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref name="mbta.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-07-01/mbta-makes-significant-progress-expedited-critical-track-work-orange-line-removes | title=MBTA Makes Significant Progress on Expedited Critical Track Work on Orange Line, Removes Six Speed Restrictions &#124; News &#124; MBTA }}</ref>

In October 2018, the MBTA awarded a $218 million signal contract for the Red and Orange Lines, which was planned to allow 4.5-minute headways on the Orange Line beginning in 2022.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/mbta-awards-signal-upgrade-contract-for-red-and-orange-lines/ |title=MBTA Awards Signal Upgrade Contract for Red and Orange Lines |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation |date=October 2, 2018 |first=Klark |last=Jessen |access-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-date=October 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010185351/http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/mbta/mbta-awards-signal-upgrade-contract-for-red-and-orange-lines/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On July 22, 2022, an Orange Line train caught fire while crossing the [[Mystic River]]. A metal sill along the underside of the train came loose and came into contact with the third rail, igniting sparks. Passengers had to jump out of the train onto the tracks, and one woman jumped into the river below and swam to shore. There were no injuries or casualties.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 22, 2022 |title=Dozens of passengers jump out windows of Orange Line train that caught fire |url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/orange-line-train-catches-fire-with-passengers-onboard-on-bridge-over-mystic-river-in-somerville-mbta/40675879 |access-date=July 23, 2022 |website=WCVB |language=en}}</ref>

Following various reliability issues on the Orange Line, the MBTA announced that it would close the entire line for renovations from August 19 to September 18, 2022.<ref name="Rios 2022">{{cite web | last=Rios | first=Simón | title=MBTA riders fume over plans to close Orange Line for 30 days | website=WBUR News | date=August 3, 2022 | url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/08/03/commuters-react-mbta-orange-line-closure-baker | access-date=August 5, 2022}}</ref><ref name="BostonGlobe.com 2022">{{cite web | title=There are still unanswered questions about the Orange Line shutdown, set for Aug. 19 | website=Boston Globe | date=August 4, 2022 | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/04/metro/orange-line-shutdown-set-aug-19-there-are-still-unanswered-questions/ | access-date=August 5, 2022}}</ref> During the closure, the MBTA conducted accelerated repairs to track, ties, signals, and concrete walls, as well as replacing two crossovers. This was intended to remove speed restrictions and improve safety and reliability. The shutdown also gave time for more new CRRC cars to be delivered and put into service; after the closure, service on the line resumed with new trains almost all the time.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2022-08-03/building-better-t-major-orange-line-revitalization-work-be-accelerated-during-30 |title=Building A Better T: Major Orange Line Revitalization Work to Be Accelerated during 30-day Shutdown of Entire Line |date=August 3, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/18/metro/t-reopen-orange-line-after-unprecedented-month-long-closure/ |title=T to reopen Orange Line after unprecedented month-long closure|author=Taylor Dolven |publisher=The Boston Globe|date= September 18, 2022}}</ref> However, the work was not enough to eliminate all slow zones, and temporary slow zones were added where work was performed. By early October, a round trip on the full line was 13 minutes slower than before the shutdown, and 20 minutes slower than it would be without any slow zones.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/07/metro/shutdown-was-supposed-make-orange-line-faster-its-slower-data-show/ |title=The shutdown was supposed to make the Orange Line faster. It's slower, data show. |first=Taylor |last=Dolven |date=October 7, 2022 |newspaper=Boston Globe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007175025/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/07/metro/shutdown-was-supposed-make-orange-line-faster-its-slower-data-show/ |archive-date=October 7, 2022}}</ref> On October 25, the MBTA sent a letter to Senator [[Ed Markey]], who had been investigating the project, detailing work needed during November and December to lift remaining slow zones, ranging from always-planned to unexpectedly necessary tasks.<ref>[https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/mbta_general_manager_poftak_-_letter_to_senator_markey.pdf MBTA letter to Senator Ed Markey]</ref>

In early November 2023, MBTA General Manager [[Phillip Eng]] announced an ambitious plan to eliminate all 191 slow zones across the MBTA subway system by the end of 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2023-11-09/mbta-announces-ambitious-track-improvement-program-eliminate-all-speed-restrictions | title=MBTA Announces Ambitious Track Improvement Program to Eliminate All Speed Restrictions by End of 2024 &#124; News &#124; MBTA }}</ref> Under this plan, the first of several intermittent shutdowns of different segments of the Orange Line began on March 18, 2024, with more shutdowns taking place that June and October.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-03-25/mbta-makes-further-progress-expedited-critical-track-work-orange-line-removes-seven | title=MBTA Makes Further Progress on Expedited Critical Track Work on Orange Line, Removes Seven Speed Restrictions &#124; News &#124; MBTA }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-06-10/mbta-makes-significant-progress-expedited-critical-track-work-orange-line-removes?utm_term=orange-line&utm_campaign=curated-content&utm_content=MBTA+Makes+Significant+Progress+on+Expedited+Critical+Track+Work+on+Orange+Line%2C+Removes+10+Speed+Restrictions&utm_medium=news&utm_source=homepage | title=MBTA Makes Significant Progress on Expedited Critical Track Work on Orange Line, Removes 10 Speed Restrictions &#124; News &#124; MBTA }}</ref><ref name="mbta.com"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-10-22/mbta-successfully-completes-critical-track-work-orange-line-removes-20-speed?utm_term=null&utm_campaign=curated-content&utm_content=MBTA+Successfully+Completes+Critical+Track+Work+on+Orange+Line%2C+++Removes+20+Speed+Restrictions&utm_medium=news&utm_source=homepage | title=MBTA Successfully Completes Critical Track Work on Orange Line, Removes 20 Speed Restrictions &#124; News &#124; MBTA }}</ref> All slow zones on the Orange Line were finally removed by early November 2024.<ref>{{cite web| title=MBTA Successfully Completes Critical Track Work on Orange Line to Remove Nine Speed Restrictions, Orange Line Is Restriction-free for First Time in Nearly 15 Years |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2024-11-05/mbta-successfully-completes-critical-track-work-orange-line-remove-nine-speed|website=MBTA |date=5 November 2024}}</ref> {{As of|January 2025}}, the MBTA plans to increase maximum speeds north of Assembly to {{convert|55|mph}}.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2025-01-27/icymi-red-line-hit-major-milestone-speeds-increase-50-mph |title=ICYMI: Red Line to Hit Major Milestone as Speeds Increase to 50 MPH |date=January 27, 2025 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>
{{clear left}}

===Historical routes===
{{collapse top|title=Route diagram templates of the various Orange Line routes over its history}}
{| style="border:1px solid darkgrey;background:#f9f9f9"
|- style="text-align:center;"
|width=300|'''1901–1908'''
|width=300|'''1908–1938'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|{{MBTA Orange Line 1901-1908}}
|{{MBTA Orange Line 1908-1938}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
|width=300|'''1938–1975'''
|width=300|'''1975–1987'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|width=300|{{MBTA Orange Line 1938-1975}}
|width=300|{{MBTA Orange Line 1975-1987}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
|'''1987–present'''
|'''Notes'''
|- style="text-align:justify;"
|width=300|{{MBTA Orange Line 1987-present}}
|valign="top"|
*Haymarket and State got their modern names in 1967. Downtown Crossing and Chinatown also changed names in 1967, but changed again in 1987.
*New England Medical Center was renamed Tufts Medical Center in 2010.
|}
{{collapse bottom}}

==Station listing==
[[File:Oak Grove MBTA Orange Line Platform, June 2024.jpg|thumb|right|A train arriving at Oak Grove station, the line's northern terminus]]
[[File:Community College MBTA Orange Line Station, July 2024.jpg|thumb|right|A northbound train departing Community College station]]
[[File:Downtown Crossing Southbound MBTA Orange Line Platform, April 2024.jpg|thumb|right|A southbound train arriving at Downtown Crossing station]]
[[File:Ruggles MBTA Orange Line Platform, May 2025.jpg|thumb|right|A northbound train arriving at Ruggles station]]
[[File:Forest Hills MBTA Orange Line Platform, May 2025.jpg|thumb|right|Two trains at Forest Hills station, the line's southern terminus]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Location
!Station
!Opened
!Notes and connections
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Malden, Massachusetts|Malden]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Oak Grove}}
|March 20, 1977
|{{ric|MBTA|Commuter Rail|name=y}}: [[Haverhill Line|Haverhill]]<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Oak Grove}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Malden Center}}
|December 27, 1975
|{{ric|MBTA|Commuter Rail|name=y}}: [[Haverhill Line|Haverhill]]<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Malden Center}}
|-
|[[Medford, Massachusetts|Medford]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Wellington}}
|September 6, 1975
|{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Wellington}}
|-
|[[Somerville, Massachusetts|Somerville]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Assembly}}
|September 2, 2014
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Charlestown, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Sullivan Square}}
|rowspan=3|April 7, 1975
|Original elevated station was open from June 10, 1901, to April 4, 1975.<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Sullivan Square}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Community College}}
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[North End, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|North Station|Orange}}
|Original elevated station was open from June 10, 1901, to April 4, 1975.<br />{{ric|MBTA|Subway|name=y}}: {{ric|MBTA|Green|name=y}} ([[Green Line D branch|D]], [[Green Line E branch|E]])<br />{{ric|MBTA|Commuter Rail|name=y}}: [[Fitchburg Line|Fitchburg]], [[Lowell Line|Lowell]], [[Haverhill Line|Haverhill]], [[Newburyport/Rockport Line|Newburyport/Rockport]]<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|North Station}}<br />{{ric|Amtrak|name=y}}: {{lnl|Amtrak|Downeaster}}<br />{{bus icon}} {{MBTA other buses|North Station}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Haymarket}}
|rowspan=4|November 30, 1908
|{{ric|MBTA|Subway|name=y}}: {{ric|MBTA|Green|name=y}} ([[Green Line D branch|D]], [[Green Line E branch|E]])<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Haymarket}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Downtown Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|State}}
|{{ric|MBTA|Subway|name=y}}: {{ric|MBTA|Blue|name=y}}<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|State}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Downtown Crossing}}
|{{ric|MBTA|Subway|name=y}}: {{ric|MBTA|Red|name=y}} {{ric|MBTA|Silver|name=y}} ({{MBTABus|SL5}})<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Downtown Crossing}}<br />At {{bts|Park Street}}: {{ric|MBTA|Subway}} {{ric|MBTA|Green|name=y}} ([[Green Line B branch|B]], [[Green Line C branch|C]], [[Green Line D branch|D]], [[Green Line E branch|E]]); {{ric|MBTA|Bus}} {{MBTA bus links|Park Street}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Chinatown, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Chinatown}}
|{{rint|boston|subway}} MBTA subway: {{ric|MBTA|Silver|name=y}} ({{MBTABus|SL4|SL5}})<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Chinatown}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Tufts Medical Center}}
|rowspan=9|May 4, 1987
|{{ric|MBTA|Subway|name=y}}: {{ric|MBTA|Silver|name=y}} ({{MBTABus|SL4|SL5}})<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Tufts Medical Center}}
|-
|[[Back Bay, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Back Bay}}
|{{ric|MBTA|Commuter Rail|name=y}}: [[Framingham/Worcester Line|Framingham/Worcester]], [[Franklin/Foxboro Line|Franklin/Foxboro]], [[Needham Line|Needham]], [[Providence/Stoughton Line|Providence/Stoughton]]<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Back Bay}}<br />{{ric|Amtrak|name=y}}: {{lnl|Amtrak|Acela}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Northeast Regional}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Lake Shore Limited}}
|-
|[[South End, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Massachusetts Avenue}}
|{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Massachusetts Avenue}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Roxbury, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Ruggles}}
|{{ric|MBTA|Commuter Rail|name=y}}: [[Franklin/Foxboro Line|Franklin/Foxboro]], [[Needham Line|Needham]], [[Providence/Stoughton Line|Providence/Stoughton]]<br />{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Ruggles}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Roxbury Crossing}}
|{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Roxbury Crossing}}
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Jackson Square}}
|{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Jackson Square}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Jamaica Plain, Boston]]
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Stony Brook}}
|
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Green Street}}
|
|-
|{{access icon}} {{bts|Forest Hills}}
|{{ric|MBTA|Commuter Rail|name=y}}: [[Franklin/Foxboro Line|Franklin/Foxboro]], [[Needham Line|Needham]], [[Providence/Stoughton Line|Providence/Stoughton]]<br/>{{ric|MBTA|Bus|name=y}}: {{MBTA bus links|Forest Hills}}
|}

==Rolling stock==
{| class="wikitable" |
|-
! Series #
! Year built
! Manufacturer
! Car<br />length
! Car<br />width
! Photo
! Fleet numbers<br /><small>(total ordered)</small>
! Number in service<br><small>({{as of|lc=yes|June 2025}})<ref name=roster>{{cite web |url=http://www.transithistory.org/roster/ |title=The MBTA Vehicle Inventory Page |publisher=NETransit |date=September 20, 2022 |access-date=July 1, 2023}}</ref></small>
|-bo,
! #14
Orange Line
| 2018–2023
| [[CRRC]]/[[CRRC Massachusetts]]
| {{convert|65|ft|m|sigfig=2|abbr=on}}
| {{convert|9|ft|3|in|m|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}
| [[File:Green Street MBTA Orange Line Station, July 2023.jpg |100px]]
|
* 1400–1551<br /><small>(152 total)</small>
| align=center | 140
|}
[[File:New Orange Line Train Interior 04.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of a new #14 CRRC car]]

The Orange Line is [[standard-gauge]] [[heavy rail]] and uses a [[third rail]] for power. The newer cars are being built by [[CRRC]] in a newly constructed plant in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], with 152 cars on order, along with additional cars for the Red Line. All in-service Orange Line trains run in six-car consists. Cars of the fleet are 65 feet (20 m) long and 9&nbsp;ft 3&nbsp;in (2.8 m) wide, with three pairs of doors on each side.

{{As of|February 2022}}, weekday peak and afternoon service was scheduled to operate on 8-minute headways, with headways ranging from 8 to 12 minutes at other times. Vehicle utilization ranged between 8 trains (48 cars) and 13 trains (78 cars).<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Rollsign |publisher=[[Boston Street Railway Association]] |date=January–February 2023 |issue=1–2 |volume=60 |title=MBTA Vehicle Inventory as of February 28, 2023 |first=Jonathan |last=Belcher |page=4}}</ref> However, rolling stock availability and longer trip times due to [[slow zone]]s reduced service. By July 2023, headways were 10–12 minutes on weekdays.<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> This was improved to nine-minute headways on August 27, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mbta.com/service-changes/fall-2023-service-changes |title=Fall 2023 Service Changes |date=August 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

=== Former rolling stock ===
[[File:Inbound Orange Line train at Assembly station, 2 September 2014.JPG|thumb|Older 1200-series Orange Line train leaving Assembly station]]
The "T" previously had a fleet of [[Pullman-Standard]] heavy rail cars for the Orange Line. These cars, known as 01100s, had been in service since the 1950s, and saw service on both the elevated and the northern extension before they were retired in 1981. Several remained on the property as Red Line work cars for some time before being scrapped.<ref>{{Cite web |title=nycsubway.org: MBTA Orange Line |url=https://nycsubway.org/wiki/MBTA_Orange_Line |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=nycsubway.org}}</ref> Units 01178-01179 are preserved at the [[Seashore Trolley Museum]] in [[Kennebunkport, Maine]].<ref name=roster />

From 1981 to 2022, the Orange Line used a fleet of [[Hawker Siddeley Canada|Hawker-Siddeley]] heavy rail cars. These cars, nicknamed Orange Blossoms, featured reinforced roofs for pantographs. It was thought that if the Orange Line was extended, they would opt to use overhead collection. But since these extensions were never built, pantographs were never installed. The 01200s, along with the [[Blue Line (MBTA)|Blue Line]]'s 0600 cars manufactured at the same time, were based on the designs of the [[PATH (rail system)|PATH]] PA3. After 41 years of service, the last 01200s ran on August 19, 2022, before the shutdown, and began to be sent to scrap on September 22, 2022.<ref>[https://twitter.com/MBTA/status/1572979172963946499 @MBTA on Twitter: "This morning, we said goodbye to the first set..."]</ref> All were processed by the contractor Costello to remove hazardous materials and be recycled; two were offered to the [[Seashore Trolley Museum]], but the offer was not accepted.<ref>[https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/09/30/orange-line-mbta-scraps-cars Were you hoping for an Orange Line train diner? It's not likely as MBTA scraps old cars]</ref> The last pair, units 01280-01281, were hauled away on July 17, 2024.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1813922141542216086 |user=MBTA |title=And with that, we say goodbye to the last set of old Orange Line cars. Cars 1280-1281 were the final two retired cars to be trucked from Wellington Yard on July 17 for scrapping. These cars were originally in a set of 120 cars built in 1979-1981 and carried T riders until 2022.}}</ref>

===New CRRC trains===
[[File:MBTA Orange Line train at State August 2024.jpg|thumb|A CRRC-built #14 Orange Line train entering State station]]

In late 2008, the MBTA began the planning process for new Orange and Red Line vehicles. The agency originally planned for a simultaneous order for 146 Orange Line cars (to replace the whole fleet) and 74 Red Line cars (to replace the older 1500 and 1600 series cars). A similar order was used in the late 1970s for the current Orange Line cars and the old Blue Line cars, ordered at the same time and largely identical except for size and color.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctps.org/data/pdf/studies/transit/pmt/PMT_Ch5.pdf |title=CHAPTER 5: Priorities for Achieving a State of Good Repair |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=December 2009 |page=5-2 |work=The Program for Mass Transportation |author=Central Transportation Planning Staff}}</ref> In October 2013, MassDOT announced plans for a $1.3 billion subway car order for the Orange and Red Lines, which would provide 152 new Orange Line cars to replace the existing 120-car fleet and add more frequent service.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=27773&month=&year= |title=Governor Patrick Announces Major Transportation Funding Investments |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=October 22, 2013 |access-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref>

On October 22, 2014, the MassDOT Board awarded a $566.6 million contract to a [[China]] based manufacturer [[China CNR|CNR]] (which became part of [[CRRC]] the following year) to build 152 replacement railcars for the Orange Line, as well as additional cars for the Red Line.<ref name="chinese"/> The other bidders were [[Bombardier Transportation]], [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]] and [[Hyundai Rotem]].  CNR began building the cars at a new manufacturing plant in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], with initial deliveries expected in 2018 and all cars in service by 2023.<ref name="chinese"/> The Board forwent federal funding to allow the contract to specify the cars be built in Massachusetts, to create a local railcar manufacturing industry.<ref>[https://www.masslive.com/business/2019/12/mbta-orange-line-problems-not-linked-to-springfield-built-cars.html MBTA: Orange Line problems not linked to Springfield-built cars]</ref> In conjunction with the new rolling stock, the remainder of the $1.3 billion allocated for the project would pay for testing, signal improvements and expanded maintenance facilities, as well as other related expenses.<ref name="chinese">{{cite web | url=http://www.wbur.org/2014/10/22/chinese-company-mbta-contract | title=Chinese Company Hopes MBTA Contract Will Be U.S. Launching Pad | publisher=WMUR.com | date=October 22, 2014 | access-date=October 23, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023054804/http://www.wbur.org/2014/10/22/chinese-company-mbta-contract | archive-date=October 23, 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> Sixty percent of the car's components are sourced from the United States.<ref>{{cite news|title=MBTA Orange Line Cars Pulled From Service: Report|first=William C. |last=Vantuono|date=October 1, 2019|publisher=Railway Age|url=https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/rapid-transit/mbta-orange-line-cars-pulled-from-service-report/}}</ref>

After delays due to issues with the train's control system, the first new train entered revenue service on August 14, 2019;<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2019-08-14/first-new-mbta-orange-line-cars-enter-passenger-service |title=First New MBTA Orange Line Cars Enter Passenger Service |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |date=August 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/03/25/orange-line-cars-delayed-again |title=MBTA Orange Line Car Rollout Delayed Until Summer |newspaper=WBUR |date=March 25, 2019 |first=Laney |last=Ruckstuhl}}</ref> Replacement of the signal system is expected to be complete by 2022 on the Orange Line; the total cost is $218 million for both the Red and Orange Lines.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/10/01/signal-problem-mbta-takes-aim-prime-cause-delays-with-new-signal-system/LcrvW47h5jCAZZBNe9oFcO/story.html |title=Signal problem? MBTA takes aim at prime cause of delays with new signal system |first=Adam |last=Vaccaro |date=October 1, 2018 |newspaper=Boston Globe}}</ref>

While waiting for new cars, service has deteriorated due to maintenance problems with the old cars. The number of trains at rush hour was reduced from 17 (102 cars) to 16 (96 cars) in 2011; in the same year, daily ridership surpassed 200,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/06/08/not-your-imagination-your-orange-line-commute-more-crowded-than-used/yywGoxRfnaIjU52IGwBnLP/story.html |title=Your Orange Line commute is more crowded than it used to be. |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 8, 2016 |first=Nicole |last=Dungca |access-date=June 8, 2016}}</ref> Increased running times – largely due to longer dwell times from increased ridership – resulted in headways being lengthened from 5 minutes before 2011 to 6 minutes in 2016. The increased fleet size with the new trains will allow headways to be reduced to between 4 and 5 minutes at peak.<ref name="state">{{cite web |url=http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/Board_Meetings/StateoftheOrangeLine61616.pdf |title=MBTA State of the Service: Orange Line Heavy Rail |page=26 |date=June 6, 2016 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority |access-date=June 8, 2016 |archive-date=June 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626122352/http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/About_the_T/Board_Meetings/StateoftheOrangeLine61616.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the interim, a 2016 test of platform markings at North Station which show boarding passengers where to stand to avoid blocking alighting passengers resulted in a one-third decrease in dwell times.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2016/06/06/orange-line-loading-times-stickers |title=Why Orange Line trains are leaving North Station a little bit faster now |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 6, 2016 |first=Adam |last=Vaccaro |access-date=June 8, 2016}}</ref>

The new cars have faced several issues since their August entry into service. In November 2019, a car derailed while undergoing initial testing at the Wellington yard. The last car of a six car trainset had jumped the rails while going over a [[Railroad switch|switch]], however no major damage had been reported. Several months earlier, the first two trainsets were taken out of service due to safety issues following the inadvertent opening of a passenger door while the train was in motion.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/11/18/new-orange-line-train-becomes-latest-mbta-derailment/ |title=New Orange Line train becomes latest MBTA derailment |newspaper=The Boston Herald |date=November 18, 2019 |first=Sean Philip |last=Cotter |access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref> Cars were also rechecked in early December 2019, after issues with sounds combined with passenger overload necessitated removal from service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/new-orange-line-trains-pulled-from-service-over-uncommon-noise-1575488557/30123555|title=MBTA finds cause of Orange Line's trains' 'uncommon noise'|date=December 4, 2019|website=WCVB|language=en|access-date=December 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/12/03/t-pulls-new-orange-line-trains-from-service-for-uncommon-noise/|title=T pulls new Orange Line trains from service for 'uncommon noise'|date=December 3, 2019|website=Boston Herald|language=en-US|access-date=December 5, 2019}}</ref> The first train was restored to service in January 2020.<ref>{{cite news|title=One new Orange Line train back on tracks as T says problems are fixed|first1=John R.|last1= Ellement|first2=Adam|last2= Vaccaro|date=January 7, 2020|publisher=The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/01/07/metro/one-new-orange-line-train-back-tracks-t-promises-problems-are-fixed/}}</ref> The trains were pulled again on March 16, 2021, after a derailment involving one of the cars.<ref>{{Cite web|date=March 17, 2021|title=All new MBTA trains pulled from service after new Orange Line train derails|url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/mbta-orange-line-train-derails-in-work-zone-at-wellington-station/35853192|access-date=March 18, 2021|website=WCVB|language=en}}</ref>  Buses replaced trains around the site of the derailment until April 12.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/12/metro/orange-line-returns-normal-service-after-march-16-derailment/ |title=Orange Line returns to normal service after March 16 derailment |website=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=April 12, 2021}}</ref> The CRRC cars remained out of service as of July 2021; defective side bearer pads were identified as a contributing factor. These dampen the movements of the trucks (which include the wheels) with respect to the car bodies, but were found to be wearing in such a way as to produce too much friction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/16/metro/latest-problem-new-orange-line-cars-thin-piece-synthetic-material-about-foot-long/ |title=The latest problem on the new Orange Line cars? A thin piece of synthetic material about a foot long |author=Adam Vaccaro  |website=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=May 16, 2021}}</ref> The first of the CRRC trainsets was returned to revenue service on August 20, after modifications were approved by the MBTA's Safety Department and the Department of Public Utilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/mbta-orange-line-new-train-returns-service-after-derailment/37367872 |title=5 months after derailment, one new MBTA Orange Line train returns to service |date=August 22, 2021|publisher=WCVB}}</ref> The new cars were again removed from service on May 19–23, 2022, after a braking issue on one car due to an incorrectly installed bolt,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/05/20/orange-red-line-trains-out-of-service-mbta |title=New MBTA trains yanked from service after braking issue |newspaper=WBUR |date=May 20, 2022 |first=Chris |last=Lisinski}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/05/23/new-mbta-trains-orange-line-back-in-service |title=Orange Line trains back in service after braking issue |newspaper=WBUR |date=May 23, 2022 |first=Fausto |last=Menard}}</ref> and again between June and July 2022 due to a battery failure.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/mbta-orange-red-line-trains-out-of-service-dead-battery-june-21/40367458# | title=New Orange, Red line trains taken back out of service by MBTA | date=June 21, 2022 }}</ref> In December 2022, some new cars were removed from service due to failed power cables causing electric arcing on axles.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/news/2022-12-30/statement-the-orange-line |title=Statement on the Orange Line |date=December 30, 2022 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>

The CRRC contract requires delivery of all Orange Line cars by January 2022, with a fine of $500 per day per car for late deliveries. Delays began to accumulate in 2019, and then facilities in China and Springfield had to shut down and operate at reduced capacity for parts of 2020 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. As of September 2022, 78 of 152 new cars had been put in service on the Orange Line. This was enough for service almost all the time because of the rush hour service cap introduced after an FTA safety audit identified insufficient staffing of subway dispatchers. The MBTA indicated it would assess which delays were the fault of the contractor at the end of the contract.<ref>[https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2020/10/06/mbta-red-line-orange-line-car-delays/ The new Orange and Red Line cars are going to arrive at least a year late]</ref> In 2023, cars were being delivered incomplete with incomplete paint repairs, connectors seen hanging on underframes, and parts sanded down to bare metal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patkin |first=Abby |title=Report: The MBTA's subway manufacturer turned in unfinished cars |url=https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2023/06/15/report-the-mbtas-subway-manufacturer-turned-in-unfinished-cars/ |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=www.boston.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The MBTA and CRRC have collaborated to resolve quality issues. In August 2023, MBTA General Manager has reported that the new Orange Line cars are exhibiting an average of approximately 114,000 miles traveled between failures, which surpasses the contractual requirement of 90,000 miles by over a quarter.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lisinski |first=Chris |date=2023-08-25 |title=New MBTA train delivery dates remain work in progress |url=https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/new-mbta-train-delivery-dates-remain-work-in-progress/ |url-status=live |newspaper=WWLP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826202728/https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/new-mbta-train-delivery-dates-remain-work-in-progress/ |archive-date=2023-08-26 |access-date=2023-09-24}}</ref>

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===Facilities===
[[File:Orange Line trains in Wellington Carhouse, October 2014.JPG|thumb|right|Orange Line trains in Wellington Carhouse, the Orange Line's heavy maintenance facility, in 2014]]

The Orange Line has two tracks for most of its length; a third track is present between Wellington station and the Charles River portal.<ref name="nycsubway" /> This track is used to bypass construction on the other two tracks and for testing newly delivered cars for the Orange Line. The primary maintenance and storage facility is at Wellington station.<ref name="nycsubway">{{cite web|url=http://world.nycsubway.org/us/boston/orange.html |title=MBTA Orange Line |work=world.nycsubway.org |access-date=June 17, 2012}}</ref> Had the Orange Line been extended to [[Reading, Massachusetts|Reading]], the third track would have been the northbound local track, and the present-day northbound track would likely have become a bi-directional express track.

Expansion of the yard and carhouse was needed for the larger CRRC fleet. Yard work was substantially completed in August 2023, while carhouse expansion is expected to be complete in mid-2024.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mbta.com/projects/wellington-yard-and-maintenance-facility-updates/update/wellington-yard-updates-reach |title=Wellington Yard Updates Reach Substantial Completion |date=August 11, 2023 |publisher=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority}}</ref>
{{clear}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|MBTA Orange Line}}
{{Attached KML}}
*[http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/?route=ORANGE Official MBTA Orange Line information]
*[http://world.nycsubway.org/us/boston/main_line_el.html Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation of Boston Elevated Railway Company's Main Line Elevated (Former Orange Line)]
*[http://world.nycsubway.org/us/boston/orange.html Orange Line] from nycsubway.org – Includes detailed description and photos of current Orange Line
*[http://www.jphs.org/transportation/orange-line-memories.html Jamaica Plain Historical Society – Orange Line Memories]
*[http://www.jphs.org/transportation/orange-line-replaced-old-railroad-embankment.html Jamaica Plain Historical Society – Orange Line Replaced Old Railroad Embankment]
*[http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id=5823 "An Elevated View: The Orange Line"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420221717/http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/Default.aspx?id=5823 |date=2013-04-20 }}, Boston Public Library exhibit about Orange Line elevated line history, October 2012 – January 2013 ([http://www.bpl.org/news/calendar_ex.htm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D102013346 BPL description] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105200157/http://www.bpl.org/news/calendar_ex.htm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent&eventid=102013346 |date=2013-01-05 }})

{{MBTA}}
{{USSubway}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orange Line (Mbta)}}
[[Category:Orange Line (MBTA)| ]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1901]]
[[Category:1901 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge railways in the United States]]
[[Category:600 V DC railway electrification]]