BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has eliminated 12 speed restrictions on the rapid-transit Green Line following nine days of maintenance that began Nov. 27 and concluded on Tuesday, Dec. 5, the agency announced Wednesday.
The total of 12 restrictions eliminated is two more than had been planned. Another two restrictions were reduced in length. The work completed has reduced the restrictions on the Green Line from 69, covering 12.08 miles (22% of the line) as of Nov. 26 to 59, covering 10.82 miles (20%) as of Wednesday.
“Repairing our infrastructure is essential to providing a safe and more reliable trip for our riders. Equally important is rebuilding public trust in our ability to deliver for them,” MBTA CEO Phillip Eng said in a press release. “Through close collaboration between contractors’ crews and our growing in-house Maintenance-of-Way staff, the MBTA continues to demonstrate a new way of doing business at the T and safely improving our tracks and infrastructure. … We know there continues to be work to do and lessons learned will continue to be incorporated to streamline efforts and better serve the public.”
The work, which included full shutdowns in some areas and overnight closures in others, included work to on sections of the Green Line extension where track had been built out of gauge. Work elsewhere included track and tie replacement in downtown Boston tunnels; structural repairs to tunnels; replacement of overhead wires in some underground sections; replacement of decades-old switches that had not functioned for two years; work on signal-system cables, switches, and power junction boxes; restoration of one pump room, with another to be restored shortly, and numerous improvements at stations.
The work was the first under the planned program to eliminate all existing speed restrictions on the transit system, which is expected to continue through 2024 [see “MBTA announces plan …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 10, 2023]. More work is planned on the Green Line between Dec. 11 and Dec. 20.
Much of this has been caused by years of differed maintenance as politicians try to create a balanced budget. It also does not help that citizens groups keep pushing for free rides for everyone with no idea of how to pay for it.
At least it’s a start. At this rate it “should” be all done sometime in 2024.
As for the non-working switches for 2 years, I guess it’s a case of better late than never. That doesn’t reflect well on any former annual maintenance plan.
If MBTA eliminated 12 speed restrictions, then how did the current total restrictions only decrease from 69 to 59?
As a further note, the just ended work removed less than 10% of the mileage with restrictions. At that rate, it will take them over 54 more days of line closure to finish the work on just this one line.
Believe that 2 items were non track but station items. So, 10 track items 2 station items.