BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced Monday (Aug. 25) that portions of the rapid transit Orange Line are now operating at 55 mph as of Sunday, Aug. 24.
The increase — from a prior speed limit of 40 mph — is on a four-station section at the north end of the Orange Line, between Oak Grove and Assembly. That segment was designed for 55-mph operation, but the MBTA says speeds were lowered for safety reasons as the track infrastructure declined.
“In 2024 we eliminated speed restrictions and restored maximum allowable speed for the entire Orange Line and now are ready to further shorten trip times, giving our riders back even more precious time,” MBTA CEO Phillip Eng said in a press release. “I’m proud of the MBTA leadership team and our invaluable workforce for their commitment to continuously improve our system for our riders. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank the public for their patience during diversions that allow for service improvements such as this.”
The 2023-24 Track Improvement Program eliminated more than 220 speed restrictions across the MBTA rapid transit system, which the agency says saves riders 2.4 million minutes each weekday. Current speed restriction data is not available; the MBTA no longer updates the database with that information since the completion of the Track Improvement Program.
