Orange Line Really Does Take Longer Than It Used To and Here's Why

First, the good news: The markings on the floor of North Station that tell commuters where to line up for the Orange Line have speeded up boarding times there by about 20 seconds, according to the MBTA.

Now, the bad news: The agency cut the number of Orange Line trains cars during rush hour from 102 to 96. That increased the wait time between rush-hour trains from five minutes to six minutes—and all but guaranteed that more trains would arrive crowded, often too crowded for many on the platform to board.

Why did the MBTA cut the number of trains? Per Nicole Dungca at the Globe: "The Orange Line uses some of the most dilapidated trains in the entire transit system." The trains date from the 1980s and never got the sort of maintenance that would've kept them in good nick.

So, might as well add new Orange Line trains to this list.

• Your Orange Line Commute Is More Crowded Than It Used to Be [Globe]
• Five Boston Transportation Projects That Need to Hurry Up and Arrive [Curbed Boston]