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Yesterday, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Massachusetts Department of Transportations (MassDOT) kicked off a $17.4 million Haverhill Commuter Rail Project, which is funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA).

The project is designed to complement a $50 million ARRA-funded double-tracking and rail improvement project on the Fitchburg commuter rail line. The project is intended to improve reliability of the Haverhill commuter rail line and provide riders with better on-time performance, MBTA officials said in a prepared statement.

The project will enable trains to use a new second track to maneuver around disabled trains and maintain service near scheduled levels. New signal systems and track circuits are designed to enhance system reliability and safety for passengers, as well as at crossings.

The Haverhill/Reading Line runs from downtown Boston, through Malden, Melrose, Wakefield, Reading, Wilmington, Andover, Lawrence, North Andover and Haverhill, Mass.

The double-track work is expected to be completed by December 2010, with signal work beginning in 2011, officials said.