Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has restored full G Line train service following the line’s series of partial 24/7 shutdowns, which allowed the authority to complete major repairs and signal upgrades across the entire line.
During that time, the MTA completed three phases of 24/7 outages for 9.5 weeks along the line to perform critical signal modernization and state of good repair work. The $368 million project to replace 1930s-era signal infrastructure with state-of-the-art Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) will dramatically improve train service and reliability for the line’s 160,000 daily riders.
“Projects like these to upgrade signals and modernize the subway system ensure customers will have more dependable service for many years to come,” said New York City (NYC) Transit Interim President Demetrius Crichlow. “I want to thank train riders for their patience this summer and also credit train czar Hugo Zamora and his team for their work, ensuring customers had the smoothest possible experience during these outages.”
“Crews worked around the clock to deliver this project in the most cost-effective way while minimizing long-term impacts to riders,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “Replacing century-old signals and infrastructure is key to modernizing our system and improving service reliability.”
Work on this signal modernization project will continue until Q3 2027. Since the shutdown began on June 28, the project team has successfully installed modern signal equipment across the entire line and completed critical state of good repair work, including the reconstruction of the Court Square interlocking and approximately 30 miles of track.
The project upgraded signals and associated signal infrastructure to state-of-the-art CBTC and is MTA Construction & Development’s first design-build signal modernization project. MTA notes innovative contracting methods like design-build allow the authority to contain project costs while limiting service disruption and impacts to customers.
In addition to CBTC work, NYC Transit took advantage of service outages to perform Re-NEW-vation upgrades, repairs and deep cleanings at 10 subway stations along the G Line, including:
- Scraping, priming and painting 233,645 square feet of platform, track and mezzanine ceiling
- Replacing 9,495 tiles
- Scraping, priming and painting 1,802 station columns
- Converting 4,858 LED lamps
Suspending service in segments allowed the MTA to complete upgrades much more efficiently and quickly than limited overnight and weekend outages. Some weekend and overnight service outages will occur as the project continues, beginning with 9:45 p.m. to 5 a.m. the week of Sept. 16.
