MBTA Locomotives, Hybrid Buses Approved

Featured image: MBTA Commuter Rail locomotives 2032 (an MPI HSP46) and 1075 (an EMD F40PH-3C) at South Station in July 2023. Photo: Awesomerailfanning via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

The MBTA Board of Directors on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, approved two large vehicle purchases: about $310.4 million for 20 new Commuter Rail locomotives and about $83 million to $84 million for 65 hybrid buses. At the same meeting, General Manager Phil Eng said Red Line trains will soon be allowed to run at 50 mph between North Quincy and JFK/UMass. Transit advocates criticized both purchases because neither fleet is fully electric. This article explains what was approved, when the vehicles are due and why the votes matter for riders.

MBTA Board Votes at a Glance

Commuter Rail locomotives: 10 Tier 4 diesel-electric and 10 dual-mode battery/overhead-wire locomotives from Siemens, about $310.4 million. Diesel units are due mid-2029 to mid-2030 and battery-electric units 2030 to 2031.
Buses: 65 “enhanced” electric hybrid buses from New Flyer, roughly $83 million to $84 million, mostly paid for by a Federal Transit Administration grant of about $78 million to $79 million. Delivery is expected in spring and summer 2028.
Red Line: top speed between North Quincy and JFK/UMass rising to 50 mph “in the next few weeks,” Eng said.
Orange Line: trains can now reach 55 mph from North Station to Oak Grove, after a change that took effect Oct. 18.

$310 Million for 20 Commuter Rail Locomotives

The board authorized Eng to buy the locomotives and related equipment under the T’s contract with Siemens, State House News Service reported. Bill Wolfgang, the MBTA’s senior director of vehicle engineering, told the board the agency has an “immediate need for locomotives” as it replaces old equipment. The Boston Globe reported that the purchase will help retire the T’s oldest locomotives, which have been in service for more than 50 years.

The 10 diesel-electric units meet the federal Tier 4 emissions standard. Wolfgang said they will cut emissions by about 80% and reduce noise compared with the locomotives in use today. The other 10 are dual-mode units that run on batteries or overhead wire, and they will produce no local emissions. They are initially assigned to the Providence Line, which already has overhead wire because Amtrak uses the same tracks.

Eng said the mix reflects the system as it exists. “Our entire system is not electrified,” he said. “So we do need to make sure while we are identifying funds and how to actually electrify the system, we have cleanest type 4 locomotives and then the battery-electric because the Providence corridor is catenary.” He added: “The intent here is: How do we use the dollars that we have?”

Advocates Question the Diesel Purchase

The locomotive purchase drew criticism during public comment. Mela Bush of the Action for Equity coalition asked why the T was buying diesel locomotives instead of leasing them “where the future is the electrification of the transportation and the rail system.”

TransitMatters had earlier argued, in comments on the MBTA’s Capital Investment Plan, that the procurement put “legacy constraints” ahead of the 2019 Rail Vision, which imagined a Commuter Rail network running on overhead electric power. The plan had budgeted $373.7 million for the locomotives. The group also asked the T to swap the battery units for conventional electric locomotives. Eng said battery technology “has improved.” TransitMatters interim executive director Chris Friend said riders still do not know what frequency or trip times the new trains will deliver on the Providence Line. The MBTA is procuring the vehicles “without first determining the service we want them to deliver,” Friend said.

65 Hybrid Buses, and a Lagging Electrification Goal

The board also approved 65 hybrid buses that use both diesel engines and battery power. They will replace buses that have been on the road since at least 2008. According to the Globe, the order is an option under the T’s existing contract with New Flyer, which also built 40 all-electric buses the agency bought in December. The contract allows another 235 buses if funding becomes available.

Hybrids do not count toward the T’s goal of having nearly 30% of its bus fleet fully electric by 2028. Wolfgang told the board that 125 of the roughly 1,000 buses in the fleet are zero-emission electric vehicles, more than 700 are hybrids and 175 run on compressed natural gas. New battery-ready garages in North Cambridge and Quincy are under construction, the Globe reported. Eng called the purchase a practical step: “It’s like riding the bicycle while you’re changing the tire at the same time.”

Faster Red Line and Orange Line Trips

In his report to the board, Eng said: “In the next few weeks, we will be again increasing speeds from North Quincy to JFK to 50 miles an hour. That will mean from JFK to Braintree, 50 miles an hour for our riders.” The Braintree-to-North Quincy segment reached 50 mph in March 2025, GBH reported. The MBTA has not yet announced a specific date for the remaining stretch.

On the Orange Line, the MBTA said on Oct. 18 that trains can now run up to 55 mph between Assembly and North Station in both directions, building on an August 2025 increase between Oak Grove and Assembly. Eng credited track and signal work done since 2023. He said weekday trips are up 76% on the Orange Line and 42% on the Red Line compared with 2023.

What Riders Should Watch Next

The board also heard updates on the Commuter Rail operating contract and the Focus 2050 long-range plan. The Commuter Rail contract bidding will shape who runs the trains these locomotives pull. Fall/winter Commuter Rail schedules take effect Monday, Oct. 26. For planned closures and diversions, see our MBTA winter service changes guide. Our Boston transportation and MBTA guide collects all T coverage, and more local news is on the Boston news page.

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MBTA Board Approves $310M for Locomotives and 65 Hybrid Buses as Red Line Speeds Rise