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7/21/2023
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority crews completed repairs on a section of Orange Line track in a tunnel between Tufts Medical Center and Back Bay stations in Boston.
The work at Tufts Curve eliminated a speed restriction along a 981-foot section of northbound and southbound track, requiring trains to slow to 10 mph. In 2022, MBTA crews performed critical track and signal upgrades on the Orange Line and raised the speed restriction to 18 mph, but the curve was not fully restored in both directions until this week.
The repairs were performed as part of the 39 corrective action plans required by the Federal Transit Administration's safety management inspection report conducted last year, MBTA officials said in a press release. FTA now has closed that directive, confirming the repairs were appropriately made, they added.
"The challenging repair work on the Tufts Curve was complex and time-consuming due to the geometry of the curved track and the extremely limited work windows primarily available at night," MBTA officials said. "Work crews often faced the challenges of mobilizing and demobilizing heavy equipment, personnel, and materials within a few short hours before returning the track for the morning commute."