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Red Line free of slow zones for the first time in at least 20 years, T says
The MBTA is set to eliminate its final two speed restrictions, both on the Green Line, in December.
For the first time in at least 20 years, the Red Line is free of slow zones and running full speed from end to end, the MBTA said Monday.
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The announcement follows last week’s Red Line shutdown, which allowed the T to complete “critical” track work and eliminate the last of the line’s speed restrictions, according to an MBTA news release. The Red Line now joins the Orange and Blue lines in running slow zone-free.
“I’m proud of the tremendous amount of work we’re accomplishing,” MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said in a statement. “The track in these areas of the Red Line is very challenging for crews to be able to access, but our workforce was given the unencumbered time on the track that they needed to finally do the work to completely remove these slow zones.”
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When the T set out last year to eliminate all its slow zones through periodic shutdowns and diversions, there were a staggering 191 speed restrictions systemwide. There are just two left today, both on the Green Line.
While a constant thorn in riders’ sides, the Track Improvement Program’s staggered shutdowns have proven effective. According to the T, the latest Red Line closure allowed crews to replace 2,230 feet of rail, perform signal upgrades, and tackle security enhancements and station amenity upgrades, among other work.
One year ago, a trip from Alewife to Braintree would take Red Line riders an average of 1 hour and 11 minutes, per data from public transportation advocacy group TransitMatters. As of Monday, the same trip would take an average of just over 54 minutes.
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“There’s more work to do on the Green Line next month to make the entire subway system slow zone-free, but 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,” Eng said.
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