It is no secret that the T has its problems. Over the past few months we’ve seen the Orange Line shut down, catch fire and force passengers to evacuate on a bridge. The big news right now is that in some place you can outrun—or even—out walk the Green Line, stay up to date on the Green Line slow zones!
The Boston Globe has reported that there are 1,570 feet of “slow zones” along the Green Line. This means that it is moving along at speeds of 6mph or less! And if you have take the Green Line to the Fenway stop, there is even a place where the trains are moving at 3mph. So if you are trying to visit Time Out Market via the T, this can be a pain because we are located just off the Fenway stop.
What is a T Slow Zone?
A “slow zone” is a place where rail cars are required to slow down in order to allow for repairs to continue or as a precaution before repairs are made. This basically means that either the tracks, ties or switches cannot handle the pressure of a train at normal speed and requires the reduced speeds.
Orange Line issues
After the Orange Line shutdown last fall, it was reported that crews replaced 14,000 feet of rail and nearly 3,500 feet of track, made repairs to Orange Line stations and eliminated six slow zones. However, the that line still has slow zones today.
Green Line Slow Zones
T spokesman Joe Pesaturo told the Globe that the MBTA “is working to develop a long-term, permanent engineering solution that will allow trains to increase their speeds.” And continued with, “The MBTA appreciates its customers’ patience while crews work to make the improvements necessary to allow trains to travel at faster speeds.”
Will there be shutdowns this spring on the T in Boston?
Beware, in March, the Red, Green, Orange and two commuter rail lines will all have some sort of closure or temporary shutdown. So check the MBTA website for the most up to date information!