How is the Orange Line better as it reopens, after MBTA replaced 11 miles of tracks?
BOSTON -- Imagine stepping inside the deep, dark, and dirty tunnels of the Orange Line. It's Boston's ultimate fixer-upper.
After a month-long shutdown on the Orange Line, riders were back on trains Monday. So WBZ-TV is wondering, how is the Orange Line better as it reopens? What differences will riders notice right away?
The MBTA said it has completed dozens of projects, replaced 14,000 feet of rail, added 400 rail fasteners, and installed track signal upgrades.
"Seven-hundred-twenty straight hours to work on 11 miles of tracks," MBTA Project Manager Desiree Patrice told WBZ-TV's David Wade during a rare tour of the underground Orange Line tunnels.
Over time, rails become worn down and the edges round off. This gives the wheels of a train extra "wiggle" room. Patrice also said the older the rail, the higher the probability of derailment. So replacing thousands of feet of rail -- and making sure they are precisely 56.5 inches apart -- makes the T safer and faster.
There have been six slow zones along the Orange Line due to wear and tear. Trains were forced to slow down to just 10 miles per hour. With those areas fixed, trains can get back up to 40 miles per hour in some spots.
But wait, there's more!
New Orange Line cars will be more common after the shutdown. They have more floor space and wider doors.
Before the closure, there were only 30 in service. Now riders can expect to see 72 of them in use.
"Your ride will be smoother and you will be on your way," said Patrice.
For years, there's been no light at the end of the T tunnels, but the MBTA promises the Orange Line now will be safer, faster, and more reliable.