Red Line Riders Asked To Leave Extra 20 Minutes For Monday Commute
BOSTON (CBS) -- There's good news and bad news for Red Line riders as they start their commute on Monday.
The MBTA announced more Red Line service updates Sunday evening. Braintree branch riders will no longer have to switch trains and most countdown clocks have been restored across the Red Line.
Despite the restoration, riders should still leave themselves an extra 20 minutes for travel time on Monday, the MBTA said.
Crews have been working nonstop to get service back to normal after a derailment significantly damaged the tracks and signal systems at the JFK/UMass stop Tuesday.
After a rough week for commuters, many are still cautious.
"Me personally I take an Uber into work, and I'll take the Red Line back home because you never really know how it's going to go with public transportation. It's always a bit tricky," one man said.
Trains will still travel at reduced speeds until the final repairs have been made to the signal switches.
The derailment damaged about 200 feet of tracks and third rail, along with three signal bungalows.
"It's frustrating but there's not really much you can do," said another man.
General Manager Steve Poftak promised that the MBTA is investing in the system. "We anticipate investing $8.3 billion over the next five years into the entire MBTA. Specifically, on the Red and Orange lines, there's $2 billion we plan on investing on the Red and Orange lines which will result in new cars, tracks signals, power, and maintenance facilities," he said.
