MBTA Says Faster Service Is Coming As Orange Line Slow Zones Remain

MALDEN, MA — Orange Line riders may soon begin to see faster service after recent track work and major delays along the Orange Line route, a spokesperson told Patch on Monday.

While potentially alleviating some commuting woes, the prediction comes as frustration remains after the MBTA acknowledged that it has kept speed restrictions in place that it initially said it would remove following last month’s total Orange Line shutdown.

“The MBTA understands its riders’ frustration with speed restrictions, but safety and maintenance must take priority,” the T’s spokesperson said this week. “The MBTA looks forward to providing the faster, safer, and more reliable service they deserve.”

The T shut down the Orange Line in mid-August, vowing to complete five years of needed system maintenance in an accelerated 30-day timetable.

The shutdown hit area communities hard, prompting travel delays and bringing major traffic congestion throughout the Boston area.

In announcing their plans, officials said the inconvenience of the shutdown would give way to a faster ride along the Orange Line. Slow zones were integral to that promise, with officials targeting six sections of the Orange Line route where they said maintenance would let them lift speed restrictions previously in place for trains.

The Orange Line reopened last month with officials saying that they had completed all work necessary to lift speed restrictions within a matter of days.

Three weeks later, though, trains are still crawling along parts of the Orange Line.

The Boston Globe reported on the ongoing issues on Friday, saying travel times had actually increased along the Orange Line after the shutdown. Speed restrictions were not removed following Orange Line repairs, the Globe said.

The T confirmed some details in its statement to Patch on Monday, saying speed restrictions have indeed continued on the Orange Line.

Restrictions are in place, the spokesperson said, after crews found “lower priority” items that they could address while they still had personnel and materials in place from the Orange Line shutdown.

“The MBTA will continue to perform maintenance activities across the line as necessary and appreciates the patience of all riders as slow zones remain in place while this secondary work outside the original scope of work continues between North Station and Assembly Square,” the spokesperson said.

Near the Orange Line’s northern terminus, Malden officials have been among those criticizing the T for its communication lapses, recently passing a resolution through the City Council calling for better communication both with the public and with municipal officials, among other things.

“This is what I’ve heard from every Orange Line rider I know in Malden,” City Councilor Carey McDonald said of revelations from the Globe on Friday.

“We need honest, direct communication from the MBTA about what it will take to make our system actually work, not more false promises and last-minute rush decisions,” he continued.

McDonald looked to the future, noting concerns about what is next for the Orange Line and the MBTA.

“It’s clear we’re going to need to do a lot more repairs with the potential for more shutdowns,” he said. “This is long term work and requires real partnership with local leaders and impacted communities.”

Malden Mayor Gary Christenson said he was not surprised by ongoing Orange Line delays. He acknowledged the T’s “numerous” repairs, though, and recalled the T’s messaging as the shutdown wound down.

“MBTA officials told us that this would take time as everything had to be checked and worked into the system,” he said. “It is no doubt frustrating but I am also pleased that we’re back up and running as our community relies heavily on the T daily.”

The T’s spokesperson said on Monday that trains are currently operating at speeds between 25 miles-per-hour and 40 miles-per-hour along most of the Orange Line. There is a 10 mile-per-hour speed limit in place between Assembly Square and North Station. While the T’s spokesperson said train speeds will increase along segments of the Orange Line "in the coming week," they did not confirm specific locations for where those track speeds will increase.