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But the agency has made progress toward its aim of eliminating all of the slow zones by year’s end.
Commuters on social media have said the dramatic reduction in speed restrictions has inspired them to feel hope about the future of the system. Other riders have continued to express discontent (this is Boston, after all), particularly when track repairs have forced them to pack into a shuttle bus or closures have complicated their plans.
MBTA general manager Phillip Eng said he feels confident that the impending closure between JFK/UMass and Braintree stations from Sept. 6 to Sept. 29 — eight days longer than originally planned — will further improve the experience of riders as the agency works to replace degraded rails and ties, and boost service overall.
“The real goal is long term to give them . . . the trip that they deserve. And the intent is to not only fix it, but then make sure that we maintain it, and then we start thinking about, how do we make it even better, beyond running reliable service?” said Eng, who took charge during a tumultuous time for the T, in an interview Wednesday.
Compared to last year, the transit system is “significantly down in number of speed restrictions,” he said during the Aug. 22 board members meeting. At this time last year, the T had 27 percent of its tracks in slow zones and there were 230 speed restrictions, according to its dashboard.
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As of now, the T has 6 percent of its tracks in slow zones and a total of 62 speed restrictions in place, most of them on the Red Line. On the Blue Line, the T has removed all speed restrictions.
Over the past year, track repairs have resulted in progress with train speeds, but they remain below historical maximums, according to data from TransitMatters, a public transportation advocacy organization that tracks how long it takes trains to do entire trips. TransitMatters factors in stop times when calculating travel speed.
On the Blue Line, the average speed increased from 16.6 miles per hour last August to 18.5 so far this August, according to T data analyzed by TransitMatters. The Orange Line has improved from 14.2 miles per hour to 15.3, during the same timeframe. Meanwhile, the Green Line has seen a marginal improvement, from 10.4 miles per hour last August to 10.6 so far this August. And on the Red Line, the average speed has gone up to 15.9 miles per hour from 12.4 last year, but gains in travel time are likely after the upcoming shutdown.
On the Braintree branch, Eng said at the meeting, the T will be able to reconstruct the tracks so that trains can travel beyond the current maximum of 40 miles per hour to 50 on some parts. The branch will be restriction-free when completed, he said.
Across the system, more track upgrades to remove slow zones are planned monthly through December, Eng said.
After each diversion, “we have been improving service,” he said.
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For example, the fall schedule for the Blue Line has more service than it did prior to the pandemic and shorter headways during the peak, Eng said.
Meanwhile, the Red Line has 11 percent more trips than it did during the summer, and 42 percent more than last fall, said Eng, who noted that wait times also continue to drop. Pointing to agency data, he said the trends were on par for the Orange Line, and to a lesser extent, the Green Line.
“This is what will bring riders back, we believe, but it will also allow people to be able to take . . . the mass transit system, and not have to worry about being able to get to their destinations on time and safely,” he said.
With that in mind, here’s what riders who normally travel on the Red Line’s Braintree branch can expect.
Where will service be suspended? Will there be shuttles?
Starting Sept. 6, and lasting through Sept. 29, service on the Red Line will be suspended between JFK/UMass and Braintree stations. Shuttle buses will be available and will make stops at the Braintree, Quincy Adams, Quincy Center, Wollaston, North Quincy, and Ashmont stations.
The T is also encouraging riders to take the commuter rail on the Kingston, Middleborough, or Greenbush lines for fare-free service between Braintree, Quincy Center, JFK/UMass, and South Station during this period, except for the weekends of Sept. 7-8 and Sept. 14-15. On those weekends, service will be suspended between South Station and Braintree. However, shuttle bus service will be provided.
Anything else that Red Line riders should know?
There will be no shuttle bus service to or from JFK/UMass station during the shutdown. However, riders who do use shuttle buses during the closure should expect a longer commute. For example, the MBTA says a person traveling from Park Street to Braintree should anticipate an added 40 minutes to travel time.
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During the shutdown, there will be increased subway service on the Ashmont Branch.
Here’s what to know about upcoming shutdowns:
On the Red Line:
- As of now, there are 40 speed restrictions.
- The shutdown in September on the Braintree branch marks the biggest one yet. The T will lift 22 speed restrictions, and the branch will be restriction-free by completion, Eng said.
- The T has another diversion planned in November, when it will address a slow zone between Kendall/MIT and Central stations in Cambridge.
- Come the end of November, Eng said, the Red Line will be restriction-free.
On the Orange Line:
- As of now, there are 20 speed restrictions.
- Riders should prepare for two more partial shutdowns. In the early part of October, the T will tackle the section between Forest Hills to Back Bay stations, Eng said. Then at the end of November, the agency will do the last piece between Wellington to North Station.
- At the beginning of November, Eng said the Orange Line will be restriction-free.
On the Green Line:
- As of now, there are 2 speed restrictions.
- In December, the T will address what Eng called a “very tough area,” an underground section near Government Center. “We have some challenging speed restrictions there, but that will be tackled,” he said. The T is still finalizing the dates and length of that diversion.
- All slow zones on the above-ground branches have been removed, Eng said.
- At the end of the year, Eng said, “we’ll be able to celebrate” the removal of slow zones systemwide.
Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her @shannonlarson98.
