Miniature Bumblebee spotted a fresh Orange Line car arriving on a flatbed at the Wellington yard this morning, presumably from the new CRRC assembly plant in Springfield.

The two initial test cars, shipped direct from China, have become a familiar sight on the normally unused third Orange Line track north of Boston. The MBTA says it hopes to begin putting the new cars into passenger service starting at year's end.

The MBTA reports the Orange Line is running extra slow because of a train with mechanical issues near Wellington.

Roving Uhub photographer Ben Themo spotted a pair of the brand-spanking-new Orange Line cars just chilling on some tracks next to the Orange Line shops at Wellington today. They'll eventually be put through their paces in months and months of testing on the revamped third set of tracks north of Boston before being placed into actual service for long suffering Orange Line riders.

An even shinier, closer view: Read more.

The MBTA reports the first four new Orange Line cars from Chinese manufacturer CRRC arrived in South Boston this morning, from where they will be transported to the Orange Line maintenance facility in Wellington for a year of testing and shakedown runs before they are put in service. Read more.

"Moderate" delays on the Orange Line, the MBTA says.

The T is reporting "moderate" delays on the Orange Line due to a train that started pining for the fjords at Wellington.

Ethan Long shows us the scene on an Orange Line train at Wellington around 12:30 p.m.

Starting tonight, the T will be shutting down the Orange Line between Wellington and Oak Grove starting at 8:45 p.m. at night so workers can get the tracks ready for winter - except for Friday and Saturday nights, when service will run as usual.

You may recall that particular stretch of Orange Line proved particularly troublesome in the winter of our discontent. Workers will be installing heaters along the third rail and at switches to prevent the tracks from turning into a glacier again, in a $12.7 million project, MassDOT reports.

But the B Line? Amanda McNeil reports:

Direct quote from 57 driver "All the buses leaving Watertown are full. Y'all better just start walking"

An Orange Line tried withered on the vine at Tufts.

Three inbound Red Line trains passed through Central after 8:30 a.m. and nobody could get on any of them.