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    1. Rail
    2. Infrastructure

    MBTA completes critical track work on Red Line

    Oct. 31, 2023
    The work, which took 16 days to complete, featured crews replacing nearly 5,000 feet of rail and 1,174 crossties on the Ashmont Branch and nearly 4,700 feet of rail and 1,380 crossties on the Mattapan Line.
    Related To: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
    MBTA
    Crews performing in-station work on the stairway areas at JFK/UMass station.
    Crews performing in-station work on the stairway areas at JFK/UMass station.

    The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has completed critical track work on the Red Line’s Ashmont Branch between JFK/UMass and Ashmont Stations and the Mattapan Line. Shuttle buses replaced service on the Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line for 16 days from Oct. 14 through Oct. 29. 

    “The MBTA is proud to have successfully completed this critical work on an expedited timeline. As a result, Red Line and Mattapan Line riders are now experiencing safer, faster and more reliable service. I want to thank the public for their patience as we completed critical infrastructure work along the Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line over the last 16 days,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “I thank the MBTA team for their tireless efforts. As we move towards delivering essential work to restore service levels across our entire system, lessons learned will be incorporated and enable us to continue to streamline efforts and better serve the public.” 

    Crews replaced nearly 5,000 feet of rail and 1,174 crossties on the Ashmont Branch and nearly 4,700 feet of rail and 1,380 crossties on the Mattapan Line, improving reliability and reducing maintenance needs. Following the work, all speed restrictions that were in place prior to the shutdown have been alleviated in the area, improving travel times by more than 10 minutes for Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line riders. The MBTA expedited the improvements by working around the clock for 16 days with unencumbered access, which would have otherwise taken six months to complete if crews only worked during nights and weekends, according to the authority. 

    The MBTA also maximized the full-access closures by performing a variety of in-station work along both lines to improve the rider experience, including new floor tiling, ceiling and platform canopy repairs, new paint, new tactile edging on platforms, stairway repairs, new lighting, vegetation removal and power washing.  

    The Ashmont Branch serves approximately 40,000 riders daily and the Mattapan Line serves approximately 3,700 riders daily.