Orange Line trains will be pulled from service for a month, starting July 29, and replaced with shuttle buses to accommodate “critical” upgrades at the line’s only rail yard.
The MBTA said Orange Line train service between the Oak Grove and Wellington stations will be down from approximately 8:45 p.m. on Friday, July 29 to Sunday, Aug. 28.
During this 30-day period, construction crews will replace more than 7,000 feet of track, four units of special track work, and more than 2,000 feet of third rail at the Wellington Yard and Maintenance Facility, as part of the MBTA’s Orange Line Transformation Program.
“Improvements made during the acceleration at Wellington Yard will drive this project closer to completion,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “Once complete, riders will experience more reliable service and less disruptions on the Orange Line.”
Poftak said the completion of work at the yard and maintenance facility will also further support the delivery of the T’s new Orange Line trains.
According to the MBTA, the 30-day service shutdown will allow for improvements at the Orange Line rail yard to be completed a year ahead of schedule, in the summer of 2023.
“We know these kinds of diversions can be frustrating, and I want to thank our Orange Line riders for their patience as we accomplish this important work on a much faster timeline,” said Poftak.
Once work is complete, the T said Wellington will have a “modernized, state-of-the-art facility where vehicles will be washed, maintained, and inspected, and the yard will have all-new track, including six additional storage tracks.”
To date, 92% of the track has been replaced, special track work is 85% complete, and work on traction power and signals is 84% complete, according to the T.
As part of the MBTA’s Capital Transformation Program, the Orange Line Transformation project is aimed at upgrading the 120-year-old rapid transit line that serves Malden, Medford, Somerville and Boston.
The T said the project will result in faster, more comfortable trips, and less crowding on trains. It will also support the agency’s plan to expand its Orange Line fleet, which it said will create space for 30,000 more riders per day.
The T is spending $1 billion to replace its aging Orange and Red Line fleets with new cars manufactured by Chinese firm CRRC. The plan would eventually deliver 152 Orange Line cars and 252 Red Line cars over the next few years.
To date, new Orange Line trains have been pulled from service four times due to various issues, the latest of which was a braking issue due to improperly installed bolts, according to MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo.
As part of the transformation project, the T is also under a $217 million contract for Red and Orange Line signal upgrades — which involves replacing its analog signal system with new digital infrastructure. It is also paying $37 million to upgrade four Orange Line traction power substations with new facilities and equipment.
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