The Indigo Line was a proposed service of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority that would have incorporated 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 Fairmount Line or Dorchester Branch is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Except for a short portion in Milton, it lies entirely within Boston, running southwest from South Station through the neighborh ...

, 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.

Background

The term "Indigo Line" dates back to the creation of the Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative, which proposed transforming the

into a rapid transit commuter rail hybrid line. Most of the infill stations proposed by the initiative have been built, with one more planned; however, the line still uses conventional commuter rail equipment.

Indigo lines under consideration

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

* South Station to Riverside via the

Framingham/Worcester Line The Framingham/Worcester Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system runs west from Boston, Massachusetts to Worcester, Massachusetts through the MetroWest region, serving 17 station stops in Boston, Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Framingham, Ashlan ...

and an old right of way from that line to Riverside currently used for trolley operator training *

Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the availability in the city at the time, and t ...

to the

Boston Convention and Exhibition Center The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC) is an exhibition center in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is among the largest exhibition centers in the Northeastern United States, with approximately 516,000 square feet (about 4.8 hect ...

using Track 61 *

North Station North Station is a commuter rail and intercity rail terminal station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is served by four MBTA Commuter Rail lines – the Fitchburg Line, Haverhill Line, Lowell Line, and Newburyport/Rockport Line – and the Amtrak ...

to the planned West Station using the Grand Junction Railroad, with a new stop in Cambridge *

to Anderson RTC on the Lowell Line *

to Lynn on the Newburyport/Rockport Line The Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit purchase of

Nippon Sharyo DMU The Nippon Sharyo DMU is a model of diesel multiple unit passenger train designed and manufactured by Nippon Sharyo for the North American market, and compliant with FRA Tier 1 crashworthiness standards. It has been ordered by Sonoma–Marin Area ...

trains in 2010 included an option for 18 cars to be provided to the MBTA for the Indigo Line service. The Indigo Line has since been indefinitely postponed.

References

External links

MBTA 5 year Capital Improvement Plan 2014-2018Fairmount Indigo Planning Initiative
{{MBTA Proposed railway lines in Massachusetts Passenger rail transportation in Massachusetts