The MBTA reports the latest extended Braintree shutdown and a briefer Ashmont closure let workers lift 37 slow zones across 18 miles of track - getting the Red Line up to such speed it's shaved 10 minutes off the duration of a one-way trip between Braintree and downtown Boston over last month.
More than 600 workers were on site during the 24-day service suspension, working 24 hours per day, seven days a week to deliver these critical infrastructure upgrades. Workers also maximized the outage by performing signal upgrades, security enhancements, station amenity upgrades, and more.
The T reports its workers and contractors replaced more than 13 miles of rail and 17,000 ties on the Braintree branch - letting it restore trains to their previous 40-mph maximum speed. Now, the T says, it's working to get those trains get up to 50 mph:
Additional critical steps, such as additional Red Line motorperson training, further service and schedule planning, will need to take place before train speeds are increased to greater than 40 miles per hour.