Local News

“We continue to make great progress on this critical work to maintain the system.”

The MBTA announced Monday that 13 speed restrictions have been lifted on the Red Line, the culmination of track work that saw shuttle buses replacing rail service on a portion of the line for just over a week.

Shuttle buses replaced regular service on the Red Line between the Park Street and JFK/UMass stations from May 2 to May 10 to allow the “critical track work” to be done, the transportation agency said.

The thirteen speed restrictions that were previously in place due to safety concerns, both northbound and southbound between Downtown Crossing and Andrew stations, have been removed, according to the MBTA.

In a statement on Monday, MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng thanked riders for their patience during the process. 

“With each diversion, we are delivering a safer and more reliable service to our riders. We continue to make great progress on this critical work to maintain the system,” he said.

The MBTA said the completed work between Park Street and JFK/UMass will give passengers more reliable trips, fewer unplanned service disruptions related to older infrastructure or power problems, and safer rides. According to the MBTA, about 11,500 feet of rail was replaced along with more than 1,500 ties. 

As part of the work, improvements and safety inspections were also performed at various stations during the line closure, according to the MBTA.

Commuters can still expect some disruptions on the Red Line due to track work. From May 18 to May 19, shuttle buses will replace trains between Broadway and Braintree and shuttles will also replace Commuter Rail service between South Station and Braintree.