‘The Orange Line is worse now than before the diversion’
Seventy percent of Boston.com readers polled said trains are slower than ever.
It’s been nearly a month since the Orange Line reopened with the promise of the new and improved trains, but Boston.com readers say service has actually been worse than ever.
Last month, the MBTA shut down the Orange Line to complete much-needed track repairs. Workers were able to complete “five years of improvements to track and signal infrastructure while also addressing safety actions on a much faster timeline,” according to Gov. Charlie Baker.
We asked readers if they’ve noticed the improvements touted by the MBTA and while some said they appreciate the cleanliness of the new Orange Line trains and the ease of mind about catching on fire, 70% of the 397 respondents said their commutes were actually slower than before the shutdown.
When the line first reopened, MBTA said that it would take about a week for the tracks to settle enough for slow zones to be lifted. Weeks later, some commuters are still complaining of long rides and aggravating delays.
Taylor from Malden said her daily commute from Oak Grove to Ruggles used to take 40 minutes. Now, it takes over an hour.
“The commute has been longer than normal which I find very frustrating especially since the MBTA said these slow zones would go on for about a week and they continue to be in place after more than two weeks of the Orange Line reopening,” she told Boston.com. “The infrequency of trains and the standing by at stations certainly don’t help. More transparency from the MBTA would be very helpful and I think make everyone less frustrated with the entire situation.”
Officials at the MBTA continue to say that these speed restrictions will be lifted soon, but has yet to provide a specific date. A spokesperson for the agency told Patch that slow zones were still in place because “crews found ‘lower priority’ items that they could address while they still had personnel and materials in place from the Orange Line shutdown.”
“The MBTA understands its riders’ frustration with speed restrictions, but safety and maintenance must take priority,” the T’s spokesperson said. “The MBTA looks forward to providing the faster, safer, and more reliable service they deserve.”
Many riders are eagerly waiting to see what their commutes will be like once the slow zones lift and they can experience these long-awaited improvements. In the meantime, they’ve shared their frustrations with the current state of the Orange Line. Below, you’ll find a sampling of their responses.
Some entries may be edited for length and clarity.
Has your Orange Line commute improved since it reopened?
No, it’s slower than ever.
“The slowdowns continue. It takes me 1.5 hours to get from Wellington Station to Longwood Medical Area. Communication from the T has been lacking. I’ve recently opted to stop riding the T and hitch a ride after consistent delays.” — Jesse, Medford
“My 50-minute commute has turned into a 2-hour commute. You’re waiting 15-20 mins for the next train during rush hour, then barely watch it chug along once on it. It’s painfully slow. The Orange Line is worse now than before the diversion.” — Rose, Malden
“While I have noticed a definite improvement in the smoothness of the Orange Line, it is the WAIT TIME between trains that is annoying. Per the MBTA website, it is supposed to be 8-15 mins between trains. I have seen wait times of greater than 20 mins.” — Janice, Malden
“My commute has gotten significantly longer and more stressful since the Orange Line re-opened. The slow zones are slower than they were before the shutdown and as a result, I frequently miss my bus in my evening commute because of how much longer it takes to get to Forest Hills. If it wasn’t illogically two and a half times more expensive, I’d still be on the commuter rail from Roslindale Village. My commute actually improved during the shutdown because I had access to the commuter rail.” — Nicki, Roslindale
“I go nearly the entire length of the Orange Line every day. Before the shutdown, my commute was usually around 45 minutes. Since the shutdown, it has been running between 60-75 minutes. It has gotten a little better over time, trending more towards the 60-minute side, but that is still a lot worse than before.” — Jon B., Jamaica Plain
“I travel 3x a week from Sullivan Square to Boylston and my commute is much worse than before the shutdown. Not only does it seem as though fewer trains are running, but when a train finally does arrive, it’s already full so the majority of folks waiting can’t even get on it. Plus, the slow zones are still in place as of today, despite the MBTA saying [it] would take about a week. It makes me wonder how bad the state of the Orange Line must have been before the shutdown if the renovations and work resulted in worse performance than before. How close to injury or death was I on a daily basis? They basically took 30 days to get the train back to the ‘bare minimum’ level of service. It’s embarrassing, especially when the line still frequently experiences delays due to signal issues, broken cars, etc.” — Jake J., Somerville
“I rode on the first day it opened, and that ride was about double my normal commute. It took me 1.5 hours door to door to get to work whereas it used to take 45 min. Now, it’s down to about 1 hour which is better but still worse than it was before. The slow zones are really annoying! On the plus side, the trains are almost 100% the new ones now which really helps with moving more people and less crowding.” — Alex, Melrose
It’s the same as before.
“I wait ten minutes for the train usually, only to wait longer when the board says the train is “stopped.” Once the train arrives it is almost always standing room only. The commute time is about five to ten minutes longer than before the shutdown. Although, I haven’t had to worry about catching on fire.” — Jamieson, Jamaica Plain
“I didn’t use the Orange Line to get to school until the shutdown (though I used it for other activities). The actual train is at least faster than the shuttle buses. However, it is still constantly delayed. Without that the ride is pretty smooth from Back Bay to Forest Hills and takes about 15 to 20 minutes.” — Anastasia, Brighton
“It’s a smoother ride when it actually moves at speed but the trains are still 10-15 min apart at rush hour so it still takes double the time to get into Boston. It used to be 20 min and now it’s 35-40 min.” — Kristin, Malden
“The wait time is still around 15-20 min when I’m commuting home at 4 p.m. from Back Bay. The only real change I’ve seen is using all new cars which I’m happy about because the old ones were in bad condition.” — Shalissa, Jamaica Plain
Yes, I’ve noticed the upgrades.
“The timing could always be better on the MBTA, that’s just a fact. Yet, since implementing the newer cars and the work, I have noticed the ride has been much smoother. Rides used to involve lots of stalling and stopping every other station (or multiple times between stations) so I definitely think it has improved a bit. There’s a long way to go for the MBTA, but this seems to have been a start.” — Selene L., Boston
“Overall, better. Slow spots just require a ‘break-in’ period and I expect that they will go away soon. Much greater peace of mind after the fire incident.” — D. Camp, Malden
“Faster, cleaner, safer, and up to 21st century standards. Let’s do a month shutdown for each line in the coming year to get every line up to acceptable standards for all.” — Ben, East Boston
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinions.
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