BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will shut down a 5-mile, 11-station segment of Red Line rail service for 16 days in October to address track maintenance, the agency announced today.
The shutdown from Oct. 14 to Oct. 29 will affect the Ashmont Branch between the JFK/UMass and Ashmont stations, as well as the Mattapan Line trolley service between Ashmont and Mattapan. Free, assessible shuttle bus service will replace the rail operations during that period, operating every 5 to 6 minutes during peak periods and every 10 to 15 minutes at other times.
“This 16-day closure allows us to address many of the Red Line’s worst speed restrictions much faster than we’ve been able to accomplish during night and weekend work,” MBTA CEO Phillip Eng said in the press release announcing the shutdown.
The MBTA says the track involved is some of the oldest in its system, and the shutdown will allow the replacement of rail, ties and ballast, accomplishing in 16 days what would take six months under the usual night and weekend work windows. It says the work will alleviate 28 speed restrictions, and that the MBTA will take advantage of the shutdown to do station work such as painting, lighting repairs, removal of tripping hazards, and accessibility improvements.
The Boston Globe reports Eng emphasized this shutdown will be different than last year’s month-long closure of the Orange Line, because it is shorter, will affect fewer passengers, and is being announced much further ahead of time. The MBTA plans four open houses in September to provide more details on the project and allow public comment; dates, times, and locations have yet to be determined.
The Orange Line shutdown was announced just 16 days ahead of the line’s closure, leading to a scramble to prepare travel alternatives [see “MBTA to shut down Orange Line …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 3, 2022]. The effectiveness of that shutdown has also been questioned because a transit advocacy group found service was actually slower afterward, leading to criticism of the MBTA’s failure to inform the public of work that was still required after the line reopened [see “FTA has no plans to take over MBTA …,” News Wire, Oct. 17, 2022].
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