March 15, 2025. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) are announcing three new, heavy-duty buses are being added to the MWRTA’s fleet. The three new buses from GILLIG run entirely on compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel, which is more efficient than gasoline and diesel, and will be deployed on the MWRTA’s Route 4N, which is the busiest route in the MWRTA system and provides service between downtown Framingham and the Natick Mall.
This is the first time the MWRTA will have heavy duty, larger transit buses in its fleet, with plans to purchase additional buses over the next two years. A single GILLIG bus can hold approximately double the number of passengers compared the buses in the MWRTA’s current fleet. The three buses were purchased with a combination of federal and state funds awarded to the MWRTA, including $392,000 through the RTA Capital (RTACAP) Program, which is funded through the annual state budget and is the primary means by which MassDOT supports RTA capital improvements and investments.
The GILLIG buses, which will start carrying passengers at some point over the next two months, are 30 feet in length. In addition to RTACAP, funding for the purchase of these three buses was accomplished through the partnership between the MWRTA, the Massachusetts State Legislature, MassDOT, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
Over the next two years, the MWRTA intends to purchase 10 additional GILLIG buses, including the first-ever heavy-duty battery electric buses that will be incorporated into its fleet.