BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s latest extended maintenance shutdown led to the elimination of nine speed restrictions — two more than originally planned — on the rapid-transit Red Line, the MBTA said on Tuesday.
The work was conducted between Alewife and Kendall/MIT July 12 and 15-26; from Alewife to JFK/UMass July 13-14 and 27-28, and between Alewife and Park Street July 20-21 and 15-26.
“I’m proud of the major infrastructure work our contractors and MBTA crews were able to accomplish, replacing over four miles of running rail on the Red Line and more,” MBTA CEO Phillip Eng said in a press release. “Accomplishing this work, giving our riders a quicker and smoother trip, was the result of early planning and continuous coordination by the MBTA teams responsible for planning and performing this effort to reverse years of underinvestment. We have committed to our riders and the communities we serve that we would deliver safe, reliable, and more frequent service, and section by section, we are doing just that.”
The work — part of the ongoing Track Improvement Project to address a backlog of slow orders — included replacement of 21,725 feet of rail; 1,700 feet of restraining rail; 250 ties; 2,600 tie plates; 46 floating concrete slabs, which absorb sound and vibration; and resurfacing and tamping of almost 11,500 feet of track. A variety of station repairs were also part of the project.
