“The MBTA’s board of directors voted Thursday to spend roughly $253 million to overhaul 40 diesel commuter rail locomotives bought and deployed in the 2010s.
The MBTA says the repairs are a normal and necessary step to keep its aging fleet functional and its service steady, but some experts and advocates said they aren’t pleased the agency is still pouring millions into diesel locomotives rather than a full electrification of the commuter rail system.
“It’s probably a necessary evil,” Brian Kane, executive director of the MBTA’s public oversight body, said of the repairs. “But it’s just poor planning on the Commonwealth’s part from 15 years ago…”
By Jaime Moore-Carrillo | 12/18/2025