Neoplan AN460LF 1132

Location: South Station, Boston, MA
Operator of Vehicle: Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority
Date of Photo: January 28, 2018

The MBTA Silver Line is certainly a curious hybrid within one of the few transit agencies in the United States to operate such a wide variety of route types.  The line is served by buses, but portions of the line operate in a tunnel where the buses are powered by electricity rather than diesel.  There are named stations with signage in the style of the agency’s rail lines, and the route appears in its own color on the system map.  But once the buses reach the Boston Waterfront district, they operate on the surface seemingly like any other MBTA bus service would.  

The dual powered Neoplan buses on the SL1, SL2, and SL3 routes are reaching retirement age, and the MBTA is already testing battery powered New Flyer buses that could replace the original Silver Line fleet.  While the exact plans for replacing the Neoplans are still undecided from what I understand, there will only be so many more opportunities to ride these buses on this one of a kind line in Boston.

For more photos of the MBTA’s Neoplan AN460LF buses, please click here.