Indigo Line

The Indigo Line is a proposed service of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority that could incorporate parts of the former Grand Junction Railroad, the Seaport District's Track 61, a spur to the Riverside station and other MBTA Commuter Rail lines. Although it has been talked about for years, mostly in relation to the Fairmount Line, the line was formally proposed in 2014 when the MBTA released its five-year capital plan. According to the "MBTA Vision for 2024" proposal, the line would operate diesel multiple units for its rolling stock and would be fully operational in that year.^[1][2]

Background

The term "Indigo Line" dates back to the creation of the Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative, which proposed transforming the Fairmount Line into a rapid transit commuter rail hybrid line.^[3] Most of the infill stations proposed by the initiative have been built, with one more planned; however, as of 2015, the line still uses conventional commuter rail equipment.

Indigo lines under consideration

A Nippon Sharyo diesel multiple unit train of the type being considered for Indigo service

The MBTA Vision for 2024 map shows six possible lines for Indigo DMU service:

• The current Fairmount Line
• South Station to Riverside via the Framingham/Worcester Line and an old right of way from that line to Riverside currently used for trolley operator training
• Back Bay to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center using Track 61
• North Station to the planned West Station using the Grand Junction Railroad, with a new stop in Cambridge
• North Station to Anderson RTC on the Lowell Line
• North Station to Lynn on the Newburyport/Rockport Line

The MBTA purchased an option for 18 diesel multiple unit passenger train cars of the Nippon Sharyo DMU design from the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) for its proposed Indigo Line service.^[4]

Construction

In September 2014, it was announced that West Station would begin construction in 2017, with an estimated completion date of 2020. While not directly called the Indigo Line in news releases, it was announced that the station would possibly connect to Kendall Square.^[5][6] As of July 2016, the project plans to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in 2017 and hopes to break ground in 2019.^[7]

In 2012, plans for a Boston Landing station were announced, with an expected opening in 2014 (which was later revised to Spring of 2017.^[8]). A rebuilt Yawkey station opened in 2014.

References

External links

• MBTA 5 year Capital Improvement Plan 2014-2018
• Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Subway lines (List of stations)	Heavy rail      Blue      Orange      Red Light rail      Green "B" Branch "C" Branch "D" Branch "E" Branch      Ashmont–Mattapan Former lines      Arborway Line      Atlantic Avenue Elevated      Causeway Street Elevated      Charlestown Elevated      Green Line "A" Branch      Washington Street Elevated
Commuter Rail lines (List of stations)	North Station lines Fitchburg Haverhill (Wildcat Branch) Lowell Newburyport/Rockport South Station lines Fairmount Framingham/Worcester Franklin Greenbush Needham Old Colony (Kingston/Plymouth Middleborough/Lakeville      CapeFLYER) Providence/Stoughton Former lines Central Mass Branch Dedham Branch Lexington Branch Millis Branch Woburn Branch
Bus routes (List of routes)	Silver Line Crosstown routes Key routes Trackless trolleys Routes East Boston, Chelsea, Revere Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield South Boston
Other services	Boat The Ride
Component parts of system lines	Boylston Street Subway      Haymarket North Extension      Lechmere Viaduct      Tremont Street Subway
Capital projects	Under construction      Blue Hill Avenue station      Boston Landing station           Forest Hills modifications      Green Line Extension      Haverhill Line upgrades           Silver Line Gateway / Chelsea station      South Coast Rail In planning / proposed      Buzzards Bay extension      Foxboro service      Hynes Convention Center renovation      Kingston R.I. extension      Nashua extension      Route 16 extension      Wollaston renovation Formerly proposed      Arborway Line restoration      Indigo Line (Fairmount Grand Junction Track 61)      Lexington extension      Lynn extension      North–South Rail Link      Plaistow extension      Reading extension           Red Line—Blue Line Connector Urban Ring Project
History	Predecessor companies Boston Elevated Railway Streetcar lines Boston and Maine Railroad Conrail New York Central Railroad New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Penn Central Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway Middlesex and Boston Street Railway Newton and Boston Street Railway Accidents and incidents      1990 Back Bay      2008 Waban/Woodland
Other	Accessibility Arts on the Line Bicycling CharlieCard Grand Junction Railroad "Charlie on the M.T.A." Nomenclature Police                Winter Street Concourse Yards and maintenance facilities