MBTA awards Wellington Yard, Orange Line signal system contract

The Wellington Yard construction zone

MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) has voted to offer a $102.7 million contract to Barletta Heavy Division for work to rebuild its Wellington Rail Yard and upgrade its signal systems.  

“At a total capital investment of $1.98 billion, we are not only purchasing a new fleet of Orange and Red Line vehicles, but our Red and Orange Line Infrastructure Improvements Program also covers infrastructure upgrades to track, power, signals and facilities like Wellington Yard,” said MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez. “Although customers might not feel the immediate impact of these upgrades, they are just as necessary to providing a more reliable, dependable service that our customers deserve.”

The three-year project is intended to support the addition of 152 new Orange Line cars, MBTA said.

Through the contract, Barletta is expected to replace critical components throughout Wellington Yard to enable the new vehicle fleet’s proper maintenance and reliable service.

The project scope entails the following:

• excavation
• drainage system repairs
• new ballast and ties
• new running and restraining rail
• traction power work
• switches
• signal equipment
• switch heater control cases
• third rail heater control cables
• junction boxes
• signal cable conduit and trough duct banks
• wayside telephone system
• fixed WiFi data network
• CCTV system
• fiber optic/copper cable network system for local voice/data communications

MBTA officials said Barletta submitted the lowest of three bids for the contract.