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    1. Rail
    2. Maintenance

    TriMet MAX trains return to regular service, regular schedule following Lloyd MAX Improvements project

    Aug. 20, 2019
    Improvements completed during two-week disruption help keep trains on time, increase system resiliency and made the ride smoother. 
    Related To: TriMet
    TriMet
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    After a two-week disruption for the Llyod MAX Improvement Project, MAX trains are back to their regular service and schedules.  

    Crews completed their work near the Rose Quarter MAX Station and on Holladay Street between 9th and 11th avenues on August 17. Regular MAX service resumed as scheduled at the start of service August 18. 

    The project is the latest in a series of major improvements to the MAX system since 2016. The upgrades will help keep trains running on time, reduce the wear and tear on the trains and create a smoother ride for tens of thousands of riders every day.    

    Investment in reliability 

    Crews dug up and replaced sections of rail near the Rose Quarter, where switches move trains between tracks. They upgraded two switches and sections of track work and installed a new machine for a third switch. The switches improved split one set of tracks into two and bringing two sets of tracks into one. 

    They replaced curved rail that westbound trains use to leave the Rose Quarter MAX Station, as well as the curved rail eastbound trains use as they pull into the station. This is an investment in the long-term health of the MAX system. Curved rail wears faster than straight rail due to the friction and vibration of the steel wheels as the trains turn through the curves. The new, curved rail is manufactured differently today and is more durable than what had been in its place since MAX opened in 1986. 

    Crews also put in straight rail on Holladay between 9th and 11th avenues, replacing a section of track where trains could switch from one set of tracks to the other, as it was not used often. That will reduce the noise from trains going through the area and make the ride less bumpy. 

    During the project, TriMet also extended an underground circuit loop at the Rose Quarter MAX Station. The loop, known as a Train to Wayside Communication (TWC), senses when trains are on the tracks. Previously, it would at times indicate trains were on the system when they were not. The new, longer connection will reduce unnecessary delays. 

    All MAX lines resume regular service 

    With the project and cleanup now complete, MAX Blue, Green and Red lines are back serving their full routes and all lines have returned to regular schedules, with trains running every 15 minutes or better most of the day, every day.  

    Making transit better 

    The Lloyd MAX Improvements project is part of TriMet’s effort to speed up transit trips and keep buses and trains on time.  

    TriMet is reinvesting in older sections of the MAX system that have been in use for over 30 years. Since 2016, it has made major improvements in Portland City Center, near Providence Park, in the Rose Quarter area and in Hillsboro to rejuvenate the MAX system. This fall, crews will be making improvements at the end of the line in Gresham, and next year tackle major upgrades on the Steel Bridge.