Orange Line without slow zones for the first time in 15 years

Transport

The MBTA’s campaign to eliminate speed limits is “a commitment to not only rebuilding our infrastructure today, but also making sure we keep that system going,” said General Manager Phil Eng.

Once ravaged by persistent delaysAn unceremoniously shut downand a now infamous 2022 fireAccording to MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, the Orange Line is free of slow zones for the first time in 15 years.

Eng offered the update at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event event last Wednesdaywhich reflects on the MBTA’s efforts to get the tracks in good condition. His announcement came a few days later “critical” closures of the Orange Line.

Announced last year, T’s Track Improvement Program uses periodic shutdowns to repair and replace tracks on every subway line, with the goal eliminating all speed limits by the end of the year. Data underlines the agency’s success to date; While the MBTA subway system had 191 restrictions in early November 2023, that is the case now reduced to just seven.

“And what that means is a commitment to not only rebuilding our current infrastructure, but also ensuring that we maintain that system,” Eng said.

The Blue Line is gone free from slow zones since May, and the other lines will soon follow, with Red Line riders ready for another shutdown this week. Eng said the Green Line will also be restriction-free by the end of 2024.

“That will be when we celebrate the entire system being free of restrictions, and I am confident I can say that here,” he added.

The staggered closures of the past year have accelerated the T’s progress, Eng explains. He cited a recent closure as an example: While the 30-day closure of the Orange Line in 2022 replaced only 6,000 linear meters of track, the 24-day closure of the Red Line managed to replace almost 70,000 linear meters in September.

“The amount of work we have done over the past year since November is equivalent to about 40 years of work due to the complete closures and the fact that we are doing construction activities 24/7,” Eng said.

In addition to repaired tracks, he also pointed to lower headways and more reliable trains, noting that the T has replaced all of its Orange Line cars with newer models.

“And those cars perform much better than the original Orange Line cars that we took out,” Eng said. “I believe the Orange Line cars had breakdowns every 30,000 miles; the contract requirement for the new cars is 90,000 kilometers, and the cars perform more than 200,000 kilometers between failures.”

He added: “We will do the same for (the) Red Line.”

What does this all mean for riders?

“More frequency, less waiting time, reliable rides. And if you have more than one seat, the ability to know that those connections are going to be quick and fast is going to bring people back, I think,” Eng said, referring to passengers whose commutes between lines involve transfers.