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A Charlie Card Isn't Needed, But It Will Take At Least $500 To Board These MBTA Trains

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is auctioning off seven vintage subway cars.

To make room for hundreds of news cars coming in the years ahead and to comply with safety laws, the MBTA removes salvageable parts from inoperable trains, then puts the cars up for auction.

"The old cars are sold to the highest bidder, usually for the scrap metal," MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo told The Boston Globe. "Old cars are retired after they are no longer capable of providing safe and reliable passenger service."

Made by Boeing and Kinkisharyo in the early 1970s and `80s, the cars have sat idle for at least three years, according to the auction posting.

Bidding for the lot of seven cars -Orange Line subway cars and Green Line trolley cars - starts at $500. The auction ends Jan. 28.

The lucky buyer must also pay to remove the cars and onsite scrapping is not allowed.

The MBTA will dispose of hundreds of Orange and Red Line subway cars in the coming years, Pesaturo said.

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