MBTA, Keolis prep for rail replacement along Worcester Line

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and its commuter-rail contractor Keolis Commuter Services will begin an infrastructure improvement program Aug. 25 along the Worcester Line.

The project calls for replacing 38,000 feet of rail. Expected to take eight weeks to complete, the work may cause minor delays for some weekend trains and weekday morning rush-hour trains, MBTA and Keolis officials said in a press release.

The majority of the rail replacement will be performed near Back Bay Station in Boston. Additional work will take place between the Wellesley Hills and Wellesley Square stations in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Over the past four years, Keolis and MBTA crews have replaced 200,000 ties and 10 miles of rail. That work has helped reduce the impact of heat-related speed restrictions during the summer, according to Keolis.

"Ongoing investments to upgrade our system will lead to further improvements in the reliability of our service," said MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramirez.