The future of commuter rail could be taking shape in Boston

The MBTA plans to lease seven battery-powered trains from Swiss manufacturer Stadler for 15 years, at a cost of $765 million, to electrify the Fairmount Line through Boston's Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods. The trains, arriving in 2030, are expected to increase service frequency from every 30 minutes to every 20 and cut 17,700 tons of annual carbon emissions compared to the diesels they replace.

The push follows nearly three decades of advocacy by residents like Marvin Martin, who noticed the Fairmount Line passing through communities of color without stopping while carrying riders who looked nothing like his neighbors. The MBTA added stops in 2012, 2013 and 2019 after sustained pressure, and electrification was the next ask.

Battery technology remains unproven at the ridership levels the Fairmount carries, according to transit advocates, though a similar system already moves 2 million riders annually on a 50-mile German route. Caltrain and Chicago's Metra are watching closely, with their own battery rollouts planned for 2028, as agencies weigh the technology against the costlier and more disruptive option of installing overhead power lines.

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