MBTA Works on Red Line; Removes Six Speed Restrictions

Crews performed improvement work along the Red Line. Complimentary caption and photo by the MBTA Customer and Employee Experience Department.

BOSTON – From August 19th to August 26th, crews continued work on the MBTA’s Red Line and were able to remove six speed restrictions as a result.

According to the report, service on the Red Line was expected to resume on August 26^th. However, the work was extended one day so crews could finished work after “an incident involving track maintenance vehicles along the Longfellow Bridge.”

During the closure, crews replaced more than 9,750 feet of rail, 1,720 feet of restraining rail, 470 ties, and 190 third-rail insulators along the Red Line. They reconstructed 260 feet of track, installed more than 8,100 feet of cable hangers along the northbound and southbound tunnels between Broadway and Downtown Crossing. Additionally, crews resurfaced and tamped 9,200 feet of track and removed and reinstalled 24 WEZE bonds and 2,000 feet of signal cable.

Along the Red Line, crews completed other work. This includes the following:

• “Repairs to drainage grates, stairways, and columns at Broadway 
• “Inspections and repairs to station stairways  
• “Cleaning and replacement of signage and maps throughout the suspension area  
• “Clearing drainage areas at Downtown Crossing 
• “Inspections of pump rooms and the installation of pump improvements between Downtown Crossing and South Station 
• “Ceiling and tile repairs  
• “Inspections of nearly 300 overhead areas on stairs, escalators, and the Red Line level of Park Street  
• “Security camera upgrades throughout the suspension area 
• “Ceiling repairs and fireproofing work at Downtown Crossing, which would have been exceptionally challenging to accomplish during overnight hours when service does not run 
• “Performing an assessment of locations and conditions of doors adjacent to the right of way 
• “Power and signal modernization work 
• “In-station painting, cleaning, and power washing throughout the suspension area”

MBTA general Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said, “The infrastructure work accomplished on the Red Line between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass stations is another major step towards improving the reliability of the system and travel times for our riders. . . We know service suspensions are challenging for the public, but the amount of work that needed to be done required this level of access to ensure that we safely and properly performed the necessary work in the most productive manner. This short-term closure now allows us to safely deliver more reliable, more frequent train service longer term, giving people back time in their day.”