The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the US has provided a long-term strategic plan to the Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) for continued track maintenance of the Green Line track, along with an update on short-term improvements.
MBTA has replaced nearly 25,000ft of track to date, as well as 1,000 ties and tie plates, which have reduced track defects on the line by almost 50%.
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The upgrades have also enabled the authority to withdraw speed restrictions on the respective track segments, resulting in a seven-minute improvement in travel times.
MBTA’s Track Department has also begun using accelerated rail replacement techniques to install 500ft or more of new track within a three-hour period, which would have otherwise taken an entire weekend to complete.
The new methods include pre-welding the rail to the desired length, pre-staging of materials and the pre-installation of tie and plate work, as well as post-installation material removal.
MBTA is slated to continue to carry out a series of short-term improvements, which are intended to set the foundation for core infrastructure works under a future comprehensive Green Line Track Renewal Plan.
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By GlobalDataMBTA general manager Luis Manuel Ramírez said: “Finding new ways to increase productivity in essential track work like this is the key to making real progress toward our State of Good Repair backlog.”
MBTA is currently planning to finalise a long-term strategy to upgrade the Green Line’s track.
The track was last refurbished during the 1970s and 1980s, and now requires a complete replacement.
MBTA will require FMCB approval to access the track area for replacement and develop contingency plans in the subsequent stages.
In addition, MBTA’s operations will be required to be integrated with other stakeholders’ activities in order to maximise work efficiency with minimum disruptions.
The Green Line track replacement project is estimated to cost $120m and will be conducted over a period of approximately 36 months.
