MBTA Overhauls 27 Additional F40 Locomotives
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will overhaul a further 27 F40 commuter rail locomotives.
The Fiscal and Management Control Board of MBTA voted in favour of a contract option that would see an additional 27 F40 commuter rail locomotives overhauled. MBTA has an existing contract under which ten of these ‘legacy locomotives’ are undergoing refurbishment. The decision to overhaul 27 more F40 locomotives is in line with the authority’s desire to improve the reliability of its locomotive fleet.
MBTA and Motive Power, Inc. signed the original contract for the locomotive overhaul in June 2017 for a value of 26.9 million USD (24 million euros). The first of the overhauled F40 locomotives entered service again for MBTA in March 2019. The second locomotives is due to enter service this week. All remaining eight locomotives should return to service by the end of August 2019.
MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said:
“Our investments in our core system continue to increase and are starting to show real results for our customers. These locomotives will be crucial to improving daily reliability and allow us to operate the system while we plan for the future of commuter rail.”
F40 Refurbishment Programme
Motive Power, Inc. will fully rebuild and refurbish the F40 locomotives. It will also install additional upgrades. For example, the locomotives will get remote monitoring and diagnostics, forward-facing and cab cameras and modern brake and control systems.
F40 Locomotive Overhaul Contract Option
The contract option for the overhaul of these additional 27 F40 locomotives is worth around 78.3 million USD (70 million euros). Of this 78.3 million USD, 74.6 million relates to the total overhaul cost, while 3.7 million USD is set aside for capital spare parts (5 percent of the overhaul price). MBTA should receive back the first of these 27 locomotives by November 2020. The full order should then be completed by late autumn of 2021.
MBTA purchased its F40 locomotives between 1987 and 1991.