Now it’s heat that’s causing commuter rail delays
In February, MBTA commuter rail passengers faced long delays due to cold weather and historic snow. Six months later, trains are running slowly this week for a different reason: The August heat wave is causing delays on the Framingham-Worcester line.
According to Keolis, the private company contracted by the MBTA to operate the commuter rail, passengers on the line can expect 10 to 30 minute delays as long as the weather stays in the high-80 degree range or above. In the hot weather, trains are limited to traveling at 30 miles per hour due to the heat on some sections of the track.
So what about heat gives cause for delays? It’s a mystery—or rather, it’s the mystery of how the Framingham-Worcester rail line was originally built.
“Speed restrictions on the Framingham/Worcester Line have been a historic issue due to the nature of the rail line, which was acquired by the Commonwealth in 2012,’’ Keolis said in a statement. “Because no records exist about how the former freight line was constructed, the speed restrictions are a safety precaution in the event that the rail on that line buckled or shifts in high heat conditions.’’
The worst-case scenario?
“In extreme heat, the compressive force in the rail can build to the point that the track buckles under its own pressure, causing the track to shift suddenly,’’ an MBTA website reads. “This sudden shift of the track is referred to as a heat kink, which often happens under the vibration and dynamics of a passing train. Heat kinks can cause harsh shifts in track, which can lead to derailments. To safeguard against heat kinks, a heat restriction is placed on the line.’’
According to Keolis and the T, the Worcester-Framingham line has been undergoing work to “de-stress’’ the rail, which would make heat delays a thing of the past. That work is expected to be completed by the end of this summer.
The delays were the cause of some fun online, with Redditor BBOOSSTTOONN posting this handy flowchart of weather-related commuter rail delays.
For this week, commuters coming from the west may find themselves sweating it out for an extra half hour under the hot, hot sun. Winter never sounded so nice.
Remember the winter on the T?
[bdc-gallery id=”141492″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com