The MBTA outfitted an Orange Line car with foam roof hardware to check tunnel clearance on Wednesday as part of the planning for 152 new cars on the subway line.
Unlike the current Orange Line vehicles, the new cars that will be assembled by the Chinese firm CRRC in Springfield will include heating, ventilation and air conditioning units on the roof, according to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo.
Pesaturo told the News Service the testing will take place Wednesday morning on a train equipped with 4-inch foam blocks and cameras running between Wellington and Forest Hills.
“Our skilled vehicle engineers are capable of making any adjustments that may be warranted,” Pesaturo said when asked about the possibility that the test determines there is not sufficient clearance. “This is exactly why you perform tests during the design and engineering phase of a new car procurement.”