Good News for Charlie! MBTA Completes Subway Track Repairs
MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng Says Clear Planning and Communication Were Critical to Eliminating Slow Orders
Boston, MA, is known for sports legends such as Dave “Big Papi” Ortiz, Bill Russell, Bobbie Orr, and, of course, Tom Brady. Now it has a legendary transit leader, Phillip Eng, general manager of the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority).
Eng joined the agency in April 2023. Previously he served as president of the Long Island Rail Road, which achieved on-time performance records during his tenure in both 2021 and 2022. He also was the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) chief operating officer and interim president of the New York City Transit Authority.
MBTA brought Eng in with the goals of bringing its subway back to a state of good repair and recovering ridership lost during the COVID pandemic. He and his team of deputies, many of whom worked with him at MTA, produced a Track Improvement Plan that they started to carry out in November 2023.
When repairs began 191 speed restrictions were in effect across The T’s subway lines. One year later all but two have been corrected and those two, both on the Green Line, are scheduled to be lifted later this month.
At its peak, the system had close to 200 locations where trains were restricted to 10 mph or 25 mph. This affected 36 miles of track across all four lines, representing approximately one-third of the system.
Boston transit riders had been enduring delays for decades. Days before Thanksgiving 2024, the last speed restriction on the Red Line was eliminated. It was the first time in more than 20 years the route was free from slow orders and able to run at full speed from end to end. The Orange Line reopened earlier in in early November after a one-week shutdown to fix 29 slow zones ended 15 consecutive years of speed restrictions.
The repair work was far from painless for subways riders. For example, 37,000 daily commuters were impacted when the Red Line was closed between Cambridge and Somerville four times this year, most recently in mid-November. In total, service was disrupted on this segment for 36 days.
The most recent Red Line work program included replacing 2,230 feet of rail, 177 ties and 3,350 track plates, which are used to hold the rail in place. Crews resurfaced and tamped an additional 13,800 feet of track.
The project went far beyond track repairs. MBTA upgraded signals, enhanced security, and improved station amenities. Workers also repaired plumbing and drainage, concrete, and benches; replaced bricks, power-washed stations. and painted.
The work on the Orange Line in October was more widespread. Crews fixed nine slow zones on the north end and 20 on the south end. During a one-week line closure in October they replaced 17,500 feet of rail and around 2,600 ties. In 2022, MBTA shut down the Orange Line for a month and replaced only 6,000 feet of rail and around 2,900 ties.
By eliminating slow orders MBTA trains can now attain the system’s top speed of 40 mph for longer periods. At its peak, the system had close to 200 locations where trains were restricted to 10 mph or 25 mph. This affected 36 miles of track across all four lines, representing approximately one-third of the system.
An end-to-end trip over the Red Line between Alewife and Braintree that took an hour and 11 minutes now requires 54 minutes, a 17-minute improvement. End-to-end trip time on the Orange line was reduced from 51 minutes to under 40.
In addition to having faster service MBTA can schedule more runs – 18 percent more on the Blue Line, 36 percent more on the Orange Line, 53 percent more on Red Line and 12 percent more on the Green Line. This will reduce wait times between trains by as much as 31 percent.
Eng said one of the key factors in the agency’s success was having a clear plan before actual repairs began. Communicating that plan helped crews and riders better prepare for service disruptions. “We’re now well positioned to efficiently maintain our system for years to come with the goal of providing the safe, reliable service our riders can be proud of,” he said in a statement.
MBTA has three infrastructure priorities for 2025: maintaining a state of good repair to “make sure that we do not fall backwards;” signal improvements, and better station accessibility. Eng said there will still be some weekend outages to continue making necessary upgrades but they will be less frequent and extensive than they were in 2024.
One development that should make riders happy is the return of subway line managers – one for each of the four subway routes. This is part of a comprehensive effort to maintain the visual appearance and upkeep of subway stations system-wide. The line managers will provide hands-on management of station conditions to ensure that facilities are clean, safe, and welcoming for all riders.
In addition, the quality of new Red Line and Orange Line subway cars built by CRRC is improving. Nine months ago MBTA and the manufacturer renegotiated their contract to guarantee timely delivery and in service reliability. As of October 32 cars were delivered for the Red Line with 20 having entered service.
The contract sets a minimum standard of 90,000 miles between service failures and, according to Eng, these vehicles are now achieving 200,000 miles between incidents. One change to the project management is having MBTA managers meet directly with CRRC’s vendors as well as the manufacturer itself. This ensures all needs are met to keep production running.
On the commuter rail side MBTA last month announced it will exercise a $165 million option to acquire 39 new bilevel coaches from Hyundai Rotem. These cars are in addition to the 83 ordered in 2019 and the follow-on order for 41 more, to be used on the South Coast service to Fall River and New Bedford. Combined, the three orders will bring 163 new railcars onto the system and allow MBTA to phase out its remaining single-level cars.
The Hyundai Rotem bilevels seat 179 passengers. They feature accessible restrooms, real-time information displays, and USB ports at passenger tables.
Lastly, in November MBTA introduced its first official mobile app, called MBTA Go. The app, which was developed in house and tested by 4,000 commuters, is currently available for Apple I-phone users. The agency plans to release an Android version in February 2025.
MBTA Go features real-time updates on arrival times for bus/train tracking, a user-friendly system map, and access in six languages besides English: Spanish; simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.
“The public deserves and expects timely and accurate real time information to plan their journeys,” Eng said. “This app is just one component as we improve communication. We want riders – whether it’s their first time in Boston or longtime residents – to feel comfortable using public transportation. This app will be a great tool to accompany people through their trips and to keep them up to date as they navigate the system.”
04DEC24 by Trak Walker) The CSX Portland Line (PLD) has been getting tree clearing, new GX equipment & Signal systems. Not sure but the Purple Line may benefit from this Project.