Streetcars in Boston: from horsepower to electric motors

Boston Streetcars: TSA electric motors for Type 10 Supercar
At first glance, comparing horse-drawn propulsion to electric motors may seem far-fetched. However, what is now the third busiest light rail system in the United States has indeed been powered by horses since the mid-19th century. Much has changed since then. With the order from MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) to Spanish CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A.), the new LRVs on the Green Line in Boston are now once again being modernized. Traktionssysteme Austria makes a significant contribution to the renewal of the tram fleet with the delivery of 1,632 single motors which will be used as double motors. With the contract won in 2024, the delivery of the electric motors will begin in 2025 and extend over 5 years.

The special feature of the CAF Urbos trams for Boston is that each wheel is individually driven. Therefore, each vehicle contains 16 TSA electric motors of type TMR 36-18-4 – more than any other tram. As a result, this rolling stock is more robust and capable of traveling at speeds of up to 70 km/h (43 mph). Comparing the possible speeds with Vienna, it is easy to see that these speed requirements are rarely reached in the dense, often branched-out public transport networks of European metropolises. On short routes, such as in downtown Vienna (especially due to the traffic structure with traffic lights and speed limits) 70 km/h for trams would not be possible.

A more apt comparison would be with the Badner Bahn, which, like the future streetcars in Boston, also operates at higher speeds as a light rail vehicle (LRV). The old sets of the Badner Bahn therefore also rely on the power of TSA motors.

‘We are naturally pleased with this major order from CAF. With the delivery of over 1,600 electric motors for the new MBTA vehicles, we can further expand our market share in the United States and demonstrate what Austrian electric power can achieve – a significant step towards sustainable electromobility on an international level‘, says Johannes Mensdorff-Pouilly, Sales Manager – RAIL.ROAD.SERVICE.

CAF & TSA – a longstanding relationship
More than 8,000 electric motors have already been delivered by Traktionssysteme Austria as part of the collaboration with CAF for equipping Urbos platform vehicles – nearly 600 of them for vehicles in the United States. Another 3,000 units are already ordered or held on option. The first TSA traction motors for CAF in the North American market were delivered in 2013, with TSA continuously supplying products to end customers in the USA since 2005, which also comply with the Buy America Act. The TSA electric motor of type TMR 36-18-4, which now also powers the Boston Type 10 Supercars, is already in use in trams in Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Maryland.

The Boston Light Rail Vehicle will be the first seven-section vehicle to go into operation in the USA. In addition, the vehicles are 100% low-floor, with access areas for passengers with limited mobility. The CAF Urbos are thus equipped not only with state-of-the-art accessibility and safety technology but also offer high passenger comfort. To comply with the Buy America Act, the ‘Made in USA‘ units are manufactured in CAF’s plant in the state of New York.

Boston – a historic city with a modern public transport network
With around 620,000 citizens, Boston is the capital and largest city of the US Commonweatlh of Massachusetts. It is also one of the oldest cities in the USA. In 2023, approximately 85.5 million trips were made in the heavy rail sector, around 34.5 million trips in the light rail sector. The public transport system is operated by the MBTA. Among Bostonians, public transport is simply referred to as “The T”.