Local Blue Line could see more nighttime shutdowns as the T aims to eliminate slow zones by November, Eng says Blue Line riders now face an extra 15 minutes of travel time round-trip as a result of slow zones, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said. John Blanding/Globe Staff/File 2017
The MBTA is considering more nighttime Blue Line diversions in order to expedite track work that would eliminate speed restrictions slowing down the line, General Manager Phillip Eng said Wednesday.
With about 43% of the Blue Line currently speed-restricted, riders face an extra 15 minutes of travel time round-trip, Eng told the MBTA Board of Directors.
By comparison, in early March — before the T introduced systemwide speed restrictions after discovering faulty track repair documentation — only 2% of the Blue Line was restricted, according to the MBTA’s slow zone tracker.
Eng said the T is aiming to eliminate seven speed restrictions between the Bowdoin and Aquarium stops by May, “and what that means is shorter trips and the ability to run more trains with closer headways because of those shorter trips.”
He added: “This is how we’re going to bring back system reliability.”
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The T ultimately hopes to remove all of the Blue Line restrictions by November at the latest, Eng said.
What’s the timeline for Blue Line repairs?
If crews were to only work when the subway line is closed for the night, the repairs would take about six months to complete, Eng said. Shutting the Blue Line down at 9 p.m. would reduce that timeframe to two months.
“But we wanted to try and see if we could do a little better here, so we’re looking at starting at 7 p.m.,” Eng said, explaining that T leaders are working to balance “the need to provide service with the need to get this work done in a timely, cost-effective manner.”
By starting earlier in the evening, MBTA crews could finish the necessary work within one month, Eng explained. An MBTA spokesperson later clarified Eng’s remarks, noting that the T does not intend to shut down Blue Line service at night for an entire month.
As for the rest of the subway system? He said the T is working on similar plans for its other lines.
In his first full MBTA board meeting since starting as general manager on April 10, Eng asserted that the T is in the early stages of a “top-to-bottom review.”
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“While the MBTA is facing what some might say are insurmountable challenges, I remain confident that we can and we will rebuild a culture of safety, excellence, and accountability,” Eng said.
He added that the effort is not a one-time deal, but an enduring goal.
“As we work to fix our system’s assets, I want to empower our team to think about achieving fixes that are holistic and complete,” Eng said. “We need to focus on the root cause of the issue so when we fix it, we fix it right and it doesn’t occur again. My goal is to instill a ‘fix it now, and fix it right’ culture throughout the organization.”
MBTA Blue Line riders could see more nighttime shutdowns for repairs
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