Orange Line 30-Day Surge: Week Two Update
Updated on September 2, 2022
Now at the end of week two of the 30-day Orange Line closure, we’ve completed 55% of our planned work. Shuttling continues to take riders where they need to go with buses arriving every 5 minutes.
We’ve replaced 6,860 ft of rail and 1,925 ft of full-depth track, as well as 88 Cologne eggs rail fasteners at Tufts Medical Center. We completed special trackwork at Jackson Square allowing us to remove another slow zone. More than 1,500 wooden ties have been replaced along with new ballast between the Dana Bridge and Community College station. Switch, signal, and track work continues at Wellington station. Between Oak Grove and Malden Center, crews are testing the new signal system.
Across the line, we’re taking this unique opportunity to upgrade other parts of our infrastructure and select stations. We appreciate our riders' understanding as we continue to work toward safer, faster, more reliable Orange Line service.
Building a Better T
As part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment plan, we're renovating stations, modernizing fare collection systems, upgrading services for our buses, subways, and ferries, and improving the accessibility of the entire system.
What We've Accomplished
During the second week of the Orange Line 30-Day Surge, crews have completed the following work:
- Work that will address a second slow zone is nearing completion at the Jackson Square Crossover
- Special trackwork replacement was completed at the Ruggles and Forest Hills Crossovers
- Crews made progress on rail and tie replacement near Wellington, Assembly, Sullivan Square, and Tufts Medical Center
- Signals work advanced at Oak Grove and Malden
- At Wellington, crews continued renewal of over 1,000 feet of full-depth track and rail replacement, installed two more units of special trackwork (for a total of four), continued track ballasting, completed alignment, commenced rail de-stressing, and began pulling cables in the new ductbanks for signal and power connections
- Tie replacement is ongoing across Dana Bridge and through Assembly and Sullivan areas; crews have replaced over 1,000 ties and are continuing toward the North Station tunnel
- Cologne egg hardware removal at Tufts Curve is ongoing for replacement on the northbound and southbound tracks
Additional Repairs and Upgrades
We're leveraging work windows that do not impede the priority work to achieve other planned repairs and upgrades. In week two, crews completed the following additional work:
- Chinatown Concrete Core Sampling: Core samples taken from the station lobby provides a better understanding of what’s beneath the slabs and what will be required to implement planned station accessibility improvements, including elevator improvements and reactivation of station entrances at Chinatown
- State Street Concrete Core Sampling: At State Street Station, the core samples taken provide a better understanding of how to support planned accessibility improvements including a new lobby floor and a modernized elevator
- Chinatown to State Conduit Inspection: This task was completed to help confirm the feasibility of installing new electrical cables to provide emergency power improvements in support of planned upgrades at Chinatown
- North Station Security Cameras: Crews replaced conduit, wires, cameras and security equipment at each end of both Orange Line platforms. The existing equipment was 15 years old, and this upgrade allows MBTA Security to monitor and be aware of any safety incidents at the tunnel entrances
- North Station to Tufts Tunnel Inspection: An inspection of the tunnel structure was conducted between Haymarket and North Station on the northbound and southbound tracks. These inspections are required to help facilitate future infrastructure repairs and identify any areas in need of improvement
Download the full 30-Day Surge Week Two Progress Update
Contact Us
For questions, comments, or concerns regarding these shutdowns, please contact Customer Support.
For questions or comments related to this project, please email the Orange Line Transformation team at OLT@mbta.com.
To report construction issues or noise complaints, please call the OLT project hotline at 617-222-3393.
Sign Up for Orange Line Transformation Updates
To get project news delivered to your inbox, sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Recent Updates
Related Projects
Building a Better T
As part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment plan, we're renovating stations, modernizing fare collection systems, upgrading services for our buses, subways, and ferries, and improving the accessibility of the entire system.