Don’t worry, that’s the right train.
Select MBTA Commuter Rail cars sport a new look beginning this week, rolling out a maroon and yellow heritage-painted train car inspired by the over 180-year-long history of the Boston and Maine Railroad. The railroad once covered over 2,300 miles of track in its prime, servicing nearly 100 million passenger miles by 1970.
The railway laid the tracks for today’s commuter network.
Boston and Maine Railroad operated from 1836–1983, connecting Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. One train enthusiast shared the moment they first witnessed the train tribute in Middleborough, Massachusetts:
The tribute train includes the railroad’s emblem, a minuteman:
Seeing the Minuteman emblem appear once again in revenue service on the former Boston and Maine System helps to introduce the story of the B&M to new generations,” said Rick Kfoury, the president of the Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society. “It is wonderful to see an accurate historical tribute paid by the modern day stewards of the Route of the Minuteman.”
The special train marks one of three historic rollouts. Later this year, MBTA plans to release train designs honoring the New Haven Railroad and New York Central Railroad.