MBTA Completes 9-Day Intensive Green Line Overhaul in the U.S.

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 17, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the U.S. concluded a 9-day intensive construction period on the Green Line and resumed service. This round of work covered multiple construction packages, including central tunnel signal systems, communications infrastructure, station accessibility upgrades, track, and overhead catenary work, and does not signify that the full modernization of the entire line has been completed.

During the construction period, train service was suspended on the B Branch from Government Center to Babcock Street, the C Branch from Government Center to Cleveland Circle, the D Branch from North Station to Kenmore, and the E Branch from Heath Street to North Station, providing continuous working conditions for signal, track, power, and station construction crews.

Partial installation of signal cables, signal system components, and fiber-optic communications infrastructure was completed within the central tunnel. The MBTA is progressively replacing signal equipment on the Green Line that has been in use for over a century. The overall project plans to update 90 track circuits, lay more than 72 miles of signal cable and 4 miles of fiber optics, and upgrade 129 signal system components, but these efforts will be carried out through multiple phased service shutdowns.

This round of work also completed the crossover upgrade near Saint Mary's on the C Branch, renovations to the communications rooms at Government Center and Park Street, relocation of the overhead catenary and lighting upgrades at Arlington, and concrete work at Boylston Station. Preliminary surveys for the system-wide wireless communications project were also completed in the Copley area.

Accessibility upgrades at C Branch stations continued to advance, with work including raising, widening, and extending platforms, adding accessible ramps, and improving lighting, waiting facilities, and pedestrian crossing conditions. The relevant platforms will be adapted to accommodate the longer, higher-capacity Type 10 trains, which are scheduled to enter service in 2027.

The MBTA still plans to schedule additional service shutdown windows in 2026 to complete the connection of new and old signal equipment, system integration, and operational testing. The C Branch accessibility upgrade project is planned to cover seven surface stations, with the overall work expected to be substantially completed by spring 2027.