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79-512: Blandford Street is the seventh-busiest surface stop on the B branch, averaging 1,540 boardings per weekday. Although a number of the Green Line surface stops were upgraded with slightly raised platforms around 2003 to allow level boarding on Type 8 low-floor trams, Blandford Street was not among them, and it is not accessible. The Commonwealth Avenue line was originally served by surface streetcars beginning in 1896 as part of what would later become

158-681: A $ 566.6 million contract to a China based manufacturer CNR (which became part of CRRC the following year) to build 152 replacement railcars for the Orange Line, as well as additional cars for the Red Line. The other bidders were Bombardier Transportation , Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Hyundai Rotem . CNR began building the cars at a new manufacturing plant in Springfield, Massachusetts , with initial deliveries expected in 2018 and all cars in service by 2023. The Board forwent federal funding to allow

237-517: A 9-car train. Some stations, including Forest Hills and Route 128 , have Amtrak-style 1050-foot 12-car platforms.) The MBTA builds full-length high-level platforms at most new stations, and ultimately plans to build full-length high-level platforms at most stations except those requiring clearance for freight trains. Full-length platforms allow automatic power doors to be used, which allows passengers to board at all doors and thus speeding boarding times. High-level platforms are in place at all stations on

316-645: A fine of $ 500 per day per car for late deliveries. Delays began to accumulate in 2019, and then facilities in China and Springfield had to shut down and operate at reduced capacity for parts of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . As of September 2022, 78 of 152 new cars had been put in service on the Orange Line. This was enough for service almost all the time because of the rush hour service cap introduced after an FTA safety audit identified insufficient staffing of subway dispatchers. The MBTA indicated it would assess which delays were

395-707: A newly-constructed plant in Springfield, Massachusetts , with 152 cars on order, along with additional cars for the Red Line. All in-service Orange Line trains run in six-car consists. Cars of the fleet are 65 feet (20 m) long and 9 ft 3 in (2.8 m) wide, with three pairs of doors on each side. As of February 2022 , weekday peak and afternoon service was scheduled to operate on 8-minute headways, with headways ranging from 8 to 12 minutes at other times. Vehicle utilization ranged between 8 trains (48 cars) and 13 trains (78 cars). However, rolling stock availability and longer trip times due to slow zones reduced service. By July 2023, headways were 10–12 minutes on weekdays. This

474-493: A one-third decrease in dwell times. The new cars have faced several issues since their August entry into service. In November 2019, a car derailed while undergoing initial testing at the Wellington yard. The last car of a six car trainset had jumped the rails while going over a switch , however no major damage had been reported. Several months earlier, the first two trainsets were taken out of service due to safety issues following

553-496: A short elevated platform that serves one or two cars. These "mini-high platforms" are usually located at the end of the station away from Boston, allowing them to be served by the car nearest the locomotive. They represent most accessible stations on the Franklin/Foxboro Line, Needham Line, Framingham/Worcester Line, Fitchburg Line, Lowell Line , Haverhill Line , and Newburyport/Rockport Line , as well as several stations on

632-586: A tight curve on Beach Street, the southern portion of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated , between South Station and Tower D on Washington Street, was closed (except for rush-hour trips from Dudley to North Station via the Elevated), breaking the loop; non-rush-hour Atlantic Avenue service was reduced to a shuttle between North and South Stations. In 1938, the remainder of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated

711-422: A two-foot (60 cm) band along the edge of the platforms. Most Red, Orange, and Blue Line stations have these tactile strips; however, many less-used Green Line surface stops and commuter rail stations lack them. Buses and trains are supposed to have either recorded announcements or driver announcements of station stops, but these announcements are sometimes muffled, inaudible, or omitted by automated systems. In

790-786: Is a rapid transit line operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as part of the MBTA subway system. The line runs south on the surface from Oak Grove station in Malden, Massachusetts through Malden and Medford , paralleling the Haverhill Line , then crosses the Mystic River on a bridge into Somerville , then into Charlestown . It passes under the Charles River and runs through Downtown Boston in

869-583: Is inaccessible because of a steep incline from street level. All subway transfer stations, and all stations that serve as major bus terminals, are accessible. Most have direct accessible transfers using elevators and short ramps, with some exceptions: As of 2020 , 108 out of 141 MBTA Commuter Rail stations (77%) are accessible. Six lines are entirely accessible: the Greenbush Line , Plymouth/Kingston Line , Middleborough/Lakeville Line , Fairmount Line , Providence/Stoughton Line , and Needham Line , while

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948-683: Is most of what is now Phase 1 of the Silver Line ). Also in 1901, the Atlantic Avenue Elevated opened, branching at Causeway Street to provide an alternate route through downtown Boston (along the shoreline, where today there is no rail transit) to the Washington Street Elevated. In 1908, a new Washington Street Tunnel opened, allowing Main Line service to travel from the Charlestown Elevated , underground via an additional new portal at

1027-581: Is mostly but not fully accessible . Like most American mass transit systems, much of the MBTA subway and commuter rail were built before wheelchair access became a requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 . The MBTA has renovated most stations to be compliant with the ADA, and all stations built since 1990 are accessible. The MBTA also has a paratransit program, The Ride , which provides accessible vehicles to transport passengers who cannot use

1106-462: Is now part of Washington Street. In January and February 1967, the four original Washington Street Tunnel stations were renamed. Transfer stations were given the same name for all lines: Winter and Summer stations plus Washington on the Red Line became Washington, Milk and State plus Devonshire on the Blue Line became State Street after the cross street, and Union and Friend plus Haymarket Square on

1185-420: Is protected from the worst weather, but the 1970s-built Haymarket North Extension had older infrastructure and was in worse shape. From Sullivan Square north, it is exposed to the weather and largely built on an embankment, rendering it more vulnerable. That section is receiving new heated third rail, switch heaters, and snow fences to reduce the impacts of inclement weather. The work requires bustitution of

1264-573: Is used for heavy maintenance and storage; a small yard at Forest Hills is also used for storage. All 20 Orange Line stations are fully accessible . Averaging 105,000 weekday passengers in 2023, the Orange Line has the second-highest ridership of the MBTA subway lines. The Orange Line originated as the Main Line Elevated of the Boston Elevated Railway , which was built in 1901. It consisted of

1343-568: The Blue Line 's 0600 cars manufactured at the same time, were based on the designs of the PATH PA3. After 41 years of service, the last 01200s ran on August 19, 2022 before the shutdown, and began to be sent to scrap on September 22, 2022. All were processed by the contractor Costello to remove hazardous materials and be recycled; two were offered to the Seashore Trolley Museum , but the offer

1422-505: The Canal Street incline , under downtown Boston and back up again to meet the Washington Street Elevated and Atlantic Avenue Elevated near Chinatown . The stations were richly decorated with tile work, mosaics, and copper; after criticism of the large Tremont Street subway headhouses, most entrances were comparatively modest and set into buildings. Use of the parallel Tremont Street subway was returned exclusively to streetcars . By 1909,

1501-668: The Charlestown Elevated to the Canal Street incline near North Station . It was carried underground by the Tremont Street subway (now part of the Green Line ), returning above ground at the Pleasant Street incline (now closed, located just south of Boylston station ). A temporary link connected from there to the Washington Street Elevated , which in 1901 ran from this point via Washington Street to Dudley Square (which

1580-548: The Charlestown Elevated , Atlantic Avenue Elevated , Washington Street Elevated , and a portion of the previously-built Tremont Street subway . All of the original route has been replaced, beginning with the Washington Street Tunnel replacing the Tremont Street subway in 1908. The Washington Street Elevated was extended from Dudley Square to Forest Hills in 1909, with an infill station at Green Street in 1912;

1659-568: The Chinatown station was closed to allow the Orange Line to be tied into the new Southwest Corridor. On May 4, 1987, the Orange Line was rerouted from the southern end of the Washington Street Tunnel onto the new Southwest Corridor. Instead of rising up to elevated tracks, it now veered west at the Massachusetts Turnpike and followed the Pike and the old Boston and Albany Railroad right-of-way to

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1738-627: The Forest Hills–Everett Elevated (Route 2 on maps ) under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority . After taking over operations in August 1964, the MBTA began rebranding many elements of Boston's public transportation network. Colors were assigned to the rail lines on August 26, 1965, as part of a wider modernization developed by Cambridge Seven Associates . Peter Chermayeff assigned red , green , and blue to

1817-628: The Green Line A branch . On October 3, 1914, the Boylston Street subway was opened to the Kenmore Portal just east of Kenmore Square, allowing streetcars to enter and run underground into the Tremont Street subway . In October 1932, Kenmore station was built, and the modern Blandford Street Portal was built just east of Blandford Street. The name "Blandford Street" for the station is an anachronism, as Blandford Street no longer exists as such. The street, along with Cummington and Hinsdale streets,

1896-594: The North Station and South Station terminals. All buses (including the Silver Line ) and all MBTA boat services are accessible. All stations on the Orange Line , Blue Line , and Red Line rapid transit lines of the MBTA subway system have high level platforms level with train floors, and all are accessible except for Bowdoin station on the Blue Line. Most subway stations (except Boylston , Symphony , and Hynes Convention Center ) and major surface stops on

1975-480: The Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine . From 1981 to 2022, the Orange Line used a fleet of Hawker-Siddeley heavy rail cars. These cars, nicknamed Orange Blossoms, featured reinforced roofs for pantographs. It was thought that if the Orange Line was extended, they would opt to use overhead collection. But since these extensions were never built, pantographs were never installed. The 01200s, along with

2054-416: The Silver Line bus rapid transit was added to connect Washington Street to the downtown subways, attempting to address this service need. This replacement service was controversial, as many residents preferred the return of rail transportation. In the mid-1980s, the MBTA spent $ 80 million to extend the platforms of seven Red Line and three Orange Line stations ( Essex , Washington , and State ) to allow

2133-519: The light rail Green Line have 8-inch (200 mm)-high platforms. These allow accessible boarding from the newer low-floor Type 8 and Type 9 vehicles, which have a built-in retractable bridge plate . Some stations have portable lifts or wooden wayside ramps for use with high-floor Type 7 vehicles; however, this boarding method is largely disused. The Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line runs older, high floor PCC streetcars . Wooden ramps with bridge plates are at all stations except for Valley Road , which

2212-429: The 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act . Construction at Sullivan Square and Wellington began in 1991. Haymarket was retrofitted with elevators in 2000. The 1975-built North Station was expanded into a "superstation" with a cross-platform transfer to the Green Line; elevators were in installed in 2001, though the Green Line did not use the station until 2004. The southbound platform at Chinatown

2291-428: The 2010s and into the 2020s. Several prominent incidents occurred in 2022 alone, despite the then-underway fleet replacement. Accelerated repairs took place across the entire Orange Line from August 19 to September 18, 2022, and again across different segments of the line throughout 2024. The Main Line of the electric Boston Elevated Railway opened in segments, starting in 1901. It proceeded from Sullivan Square along

2370-450: The Blue Line was built with overhead lines on its surface section due to its proximity to corrosive salt air, it was not subject to icing issues.) Starting in 2015, the MBTA began implementing its $ 83.7 million Winter Resiliency Program, much of which focused on preventing similar issues with the Orange and Red lines. The Southwest Corridor section of the Orange Line is located in a trench and

2449-651: The C branch was closed for maintenance. During the closure of the Huntington Avenue subway , beginning December 28, 1985, regular scheduled service was run between Blandford Street and Lechmere . On July 26, 1986 this reverted to RAD service, which was intensified on December 26, 1986 with use of other cutbacks (which, unlike Blandford Street, do not have pocket tracks). RAD service was greatly reduced on September 10, 1988, but increased again from Blandford Street on September 1, 2008. MBTA accessibility The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) system

Blandford Street station - Misplaced Pages Continue

2528-612: The Central Subway without blocking revenue service tracks. The pocket track opened on June 30, 1931, replacing a former surface crossover at Kenmore station . It is frequently used as a layover point for trains during the middle of the day and overnight, and to temporarily store disabled cars. During Red Sox games and other major events at Fenway Park, extra trains are stored on the pocket track to provide extra service from Kenmore to Park Street to handle exiting crowds. An experimental four-car post-game train operated on April 9, 2011 used

2607-598: The Charlestown Elevated was extended from Sullivan Square to Everett in 1919. The Atlantic Avenue Elevated was closed in 1938. The newly formed MBTA assigned colors to its subway lines in 1965, with the Main Line becoming the Orange Line. The Charlestown Elevated was closed in 1975; it was replaced by the Haymarket North Extension , which opened in phases from 1975 to 1977. The Southwest Corridor replaced

2686-442: The Green Line became Haymarket after Haymarket Square . Boylston Street was renamed Essex to avoid confusion with nearby Boylston station on the Green Line. In May 1987, Essex was renamed Chinatown after the adjacent Chinatown neighborhood , and Washington renamed Downtown Crossing after the adjacent shopping district . In March 2010, New England Medical Center station was renamed as Tufts Medical Center two years after

2765-657: The Greenbush Line, Kingston/Plymouth Line, and the Middleborough/Lakeville Line. The non-accessible station at Natick Center is being renovated with high-level platforms. According to MBTA policies, "Customers who use service animals are welcome in all MBTA vehicles, stations, and facilities during all hours of operation. Customers must be in control of their service animal at all times. Animals are not permitted in seats." Some train stations have yellow detectable warning strips with truncated domes running in

2844-462: The MBTA plans to make the station accessible along with other stations on the line, with construction to start in fall 2025. A pocket track just west of the station between Blandford Mall and Granby Street is used for several operational purposes. Neither the C nor D branches have similar pocket tracks, so the Blandford Street pocket track is a primary location to store trains on the west end of

2923-455: The MBTA subway system by the end of 2024. Under this plan, the first of several intermittent shutdowns of different segments of the Orange Line began on March 18, 2024, with more shutdowns taking place that June and October. All slow zones on the Orange Line were finally removed by early November 2024. Orange Line The Orange Line is standard-gauge heavy rail and uses a third rail for power. The newer cars are being built by CRRC in

3002-528: The MBTA's Safety Department and the Department of Public Utilities. The new cars were again removed from service on May 19–23, 2022, after a braking issue on one car due to an incorrectly installed bolt, and again between June and July 2022 due to a battery failure. In December 2022, some new cars were removed from service due to failed power cables causing electric arcing on axles. The CRRC contract requires delivery of all Orange Line cars by January 2022, with

3081-588: The MTA began operating " modified express service " on the line during the morning rush hour. Every other train bypassed Green Street, Egleston (southbound) or Northampton (northbound), Dover, and Thompson Square stations. This was discontinued in September 1961 to reduce wait times at the skipped stations, all of which were outdoors. The line was known as the Main Line Elevated under the Boston Elevated Railway , and

3160-519: The Providence/Stoughton Line and Fairmount Line. Stations served only by the CapeFLYER service also have mini-high platforms. Some commuter rail stations, mostly newer stations and those in larger cities, have full-length high-level platforms that allow for accessible boarding on all cars. (The standard MBTA high-level side platform is 12 feet wide and 800 feet long, capable of fully handling

3239-448: The Washington Street Elevated had been extended south to Forest Hills . Trains from Washington Street were routed through the new subway, either all the way to Sullivan Square, or back around in a loop via the subway and then the Atlantic Avenue Elevated. In 1919, the same year that the Atlantic Avenue Elevated was partially damaged in Boston's Great Molasses Flood , the Charlestown Elevated

Blandford Street station - Misplaced Pages Continue

3318-465: The Washington Street Elevated in 1987, using an alignment originally intended for Interstate 95 , completing the modern Orange Line alignment. The downtown stations were lengthened in the 1980s to allow six-car trains. Accessibility modifications began with some of those stations and were completed in 2005. Assembly opened as an infill station in 2014. The Orange Line struggled with reliability issues, including aging infrastructure and trains, throughout

3397-677: The Washington Street Tunnel. The line returns to the surface in the South End , then follows the Southwest Corridor southwest in a cut through Roxbury and Jamaica Plain to Forest Hills station . The Orange Line operates during normal MBTA service hours (all times except late nights) with six-car trains. It uses a 152-car CRRC fleet built in 2018–2024. The Orange Line is fully grade-separated and trains are driven by operators with automatic train control for safety. Wellington Carhouse in Medford

3476-550: The contract to specify the cars be built in Massachusetts, to create a local railcar manufacturing industry. In conjunction with the new rolling stock, the remainder of the $ 1.3 billion allocated for the project would pay for testing, signal improvements and expanded maintenance facilities, as well as other related expenses. Sixty percent of the car's components are sourced from the United States. After delays due to issues with

3555-459: The contractual requirement of 90,000 miles by over a quarter. The Orange Line has two tracks for most of its length; a third track is present between Wellington station and the Charles River portal. This track is used to bypass construction on the other two tracks and for testing newly delivered cars for the Orange Line. The primary maintenance and storage facility is at Wellington station. Had

3634-458: The current Orange Line cars and the old Blue Line cars, ordered at the same time and largely identical except for size and color. In October 2013, MassDOT announced plans for a $ 1.3 billion subway car order for the Orange and Red Lines, which would provide 152 new Orange Line cars to replace the existing 120-car fleet and add more frequent service. On October 22, 2014, the MassDOT Board awarded

3713-417: The entire MBTA system was shut down on several occasions by heavy snowfalls. The aboveground sections of the Orange and Red lines were particularly vulnerable due to their exposed third rail, which iced over during storms. When a single train stopped due to power loss, other trains soon stopped as well; without continually running trains pushing snow off the rails, the lines were quickly covered in snow. (Because

3792-508: The eponymous hospital changed its name. The Boston Transportation Planning Review looked at the line in the 1970s, considering extensions to reach the Route 128 beltway , with termini at Reading in the north and Dedham in the south. As a result of this review, the Charlestown Elevated – which served the Charlestown neighborhood north of downtown Boston and the inner suburb of Everett –

3871-555: The event that automated systems are not functioning properly, the vehicle driver or conductor is to announce stops over the public address system. The MBTA has a TTY number for "T" information: (617) 222–5146. Many stations have TTY pay phones; the MBTA web site has a list. The MBTA says it has reviewed its web site, http://www.mbta.com , using "the United States Section 508 guidelines and WCAG double AA guidelines, ... and made all required accommodations to help ensure that

3950-731: The existing MBTA Commuter Rail stop at Back Bay . It then continued along new tracks, partially covered and partially open but depressed, to Forest Hills . This MBTA right-of-way is also shared by Amtrak as part of the national Northeast Corridor intercity passenger rail service. While ending more or less at the same terminus (Forest Hills), the new routing passes significantly to the west of its previous route on Washington Street; local residents were promised "equal or better" replacement service. Originally, plans provided for light rail vehicles street running in mixed traffic, from Washington Street to Dudley Square, then diverting southeastward on Warren Street towards Dorchester. In 2002, Phase 1 of

4029-454: The fault of the contractor at the end of the contract. In 2023, cars were being delivered incomplete with incomplete paint repairs, connectors seen hanging on underframes, and parts sanded down to bare metal. The MBTA and CRRC have collaborated to resolve quality issues. In August 2023, MBTA General Manager has reported that the new Orange Line cars are exhibiting an average of approximately 114,000 miles traveled between failures, which surpasses

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4108-557: The fixed-route system. Much of the MBTA subway system is accessible: all Orange and Red Line stations, and all but one Blue Line station, are accessible. Most of the underground portion of the Green Line is accessible, though only some surface stops are; all but one stop on the Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line are accessible. About three-quarters of the MBTA Commuter Rail system is accessible, including

4187-498: The full line was 13 minutes slower than before the shutdown, and 20 minutes slower than it would be without any slow zones. On October 25, the MBTA sent a letter to Senator Ed Markey , who had been investigating the project, detailing work needed during November and December to lift remaining slow zones, ranging from always-planned to unexpectedly necessary tasks. In early November 2023, MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng announced an ambitious plan to eliminate all 191 slow zones across

4266-452: The inadvertent opening of a passenger door while the train was in motion. Cars were also rechecked in early December 2019, after issues with sounds combined with passenger overload necessitated removal from service. The first train was restored to service in January 2020. The trains were pulled again on March 16, 2021, after a derailment involving one of the cars. Buses replaced trains around

4345-482: The line from Sullivan Square to Oak Grove on certain weeknights and weekends. In October 2018, the MBTA awarded a $ 218 million signal contract for the Red and Orange Lines, which was planned to allow 4.5-minute headways on the Orange Line beginning in 2022. On July 22, 2022, an Orange Line train caught fire while crossing the Mystic River . A metal sill along the underside of the train came loose and came into contact with

4424-506: The mid-1980s, the MBTA spent $ 80 million to extend the platforms of seven Red Line and three Orange Line stations to allow the use of six-car trains and add elevators. All new commuter rail stations have been accessible since the mid-1980s, with many existing stations renovated as well. The pace of renovations increased after the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act . Only 26 of the 80 key stations were accessible by 1990; $ 1.6 billion in renovations raised this to 69 in 2004. Green Line service

4503-501: The necessary demolition. However, land for I-95's Southwest Corridor through Roxbury had already been cleared of buildings; moreover, the state had already committed to using this vacant land for transportation purposes. As a result, instead of an 8-lane Interstate highway with a relocated Orange Line running in its median (in a manner similar to the Chicago Transit Authority 's Dan Ryan , Congress, and O'Hare branches ),

4582-491: The other lines have a mix of accessible and non-accessible stations. All stations built or rebuilt since about 1987 are accessible; many older stations have been retrofitted and several other stations are currently being rebuilt for accessibility. Most of the non-accessible stations are located on the Fitchburg Line , Framingham/Worcester Line , and Franklin/Foxboro Line . Of those stations that are accessible, some only have

4661-545: The other three lines based on geographic features; however, according to Chermayeff, the Main Line El "ended up being orange for no particular reason beyond color balance." The firm originally planned for yellow instead of orange, but yellow was rejected after testing because yellow text was difficult to read on a white background. (Yellow was later used for MBTA bus service). The MBTA and transit historians later claimed that orange came from Orange Street, an early name for what

4740-503: The same year, daily ridership surpassed 200,000. Increased running times – largely due to longer dwell times from increased ridership – resulted in headways being lengthened from 5 minutes before 2011 to 6 minutes in 2016. The increased fleet size with the new trains will allow headways to be reduced to between 4 and 5 minutes at peak. In the interim, a 2016 test of platform markings at North Station which show boarding passengers where to stand to avoid blocking alighting passengers resulted in

4819-501: The site is accessible by users who rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers or other input mechanisms." In 1975, the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board enacted its first regulations requiring accessibility of public facilities. All subsequent new rapid transit stations have been accessible. The first station to be renovated for accessibility was the Red Line level of Park Street in 1979. In

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4898-506: The site of the derailment until April 12. The CRRC cars remained out of service as of July 2021; defective side bearer pads were identified as a contributing factor. These dampen the movements of the trucks (which include the wheels) with respect to the car bodies, but were found to be wearing in such a way as to produce too much friction. The first of the CRRC trainsets was returned to revenue service on August 20, after modifications were approved by

4977-428: The space would be occupied by the realigned Orange Line, a reconstructed three-track mainline for Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor and MBTA Commuter Rail trains, and a linear park . After this re-routing was accomplished in 1987, the Washington Street Elevated was torn down, the last major segment of the original elevated line to be demolished. Between April 30 and May 3, 1987, the Washington Street Elevated south of

5056-414: The state's Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, FTA Section 5309 New Starts program, and Federal Realty Investment Trust (the developer of Assembly Square). Construction began in late 2011 and finished in mid 2014. The new station, Assembly , opened on September 2, 2014. It was the first new station on the MBTA subway system since 1987. During the unusually brutal winter of 2014–2015 ,

5135-505: The third rail, igniting sparks. Passengers had to jump out of the train onto the tracks, and one woman jumped into the river below and swam to shore. There were no injuries or casualties. Following various reliability issues on the Orange Line, the MBTA announced that it would close the entire line for renovations from August 19 to September 18, 2022. During the closure, the MBTA conducted accelerated repairs to track, ties, signals, and concrete walls, as well as replacing two crossovers. This

5214-459: The track as a staging point. The pocket track is also used to short turn westbound service from the central subway , such as when the B branch is not operating due to maintenance, accidents, or weather conditions. Run as Directed (RAD) trains, which provide additional capacity in the subway during peak periods, often operate from Blandford Street. RAD service began on January 1, 1977 and was intensified from July 24, 1982 to September 10, 1982 when

5293-443: The train's control system, the first new train entered revenue service on August 14, 2019; Replacement of the signal system is expected to be complete by 2022 on the Orange Line; the total cost is $ 218 million for both the Red and Orange Lines. While waiting for new cars, service has deteriorated due to maintenance problems with the old cars. The number of trains at rush hour was reduced from 17 (102 cars) to 16 (96 cars) in 2011; in

5372-492: The use of six-car trains. Washington and State were made fully accessible, as was the northbound platform at Essex. The Southwest Corridor station opened in 1987 were all fully accessible . Six-car trains entered service on August 18, 1987. Oak Grove was also renovated around 1987. This left only Haymarket , five stations on the Haymarket North Extension, and the southbound platform at Chinatown inaccessible by

5451-465: Was bought by Boston University in June 2012 for use as a pedestrian mall . On July 30, 2012, BU closed these roadways to most automobile traffic and renamed Blandford Street as Blandford Mall. However, the station is still named Blandford Street. In March 2024, the MBTA indicated that it was considering future consolidation of Blandford Street and Boston University East into a single station. As of June 2024,

5530-416: Was closed, leaving the subway as the only route through downtown – what is now the Orange Line between Haymarket and Chinatown stations. Ownership of the railway was transferred from the private Boston Elevated Railway to the public Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in 1947; the MTA was itself reconstituted as the modern Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1964. On December 5, 1960,

5609-475: Was demolished and replaced in 1975. The Haymarket North Extension rerouted the Orange Line through an underwater crossing of the Charles River . Service in Charlestown was replaced with service along Boston and Maine tracks routed partially beneath an elevated section of Interstate 93 , ultimately to Wellington and then to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts , instead of Everett. Rail service to Everett

5688-453: Was extended north from Sullivan Square to Everett station , over surface right-of-way parallel to Alford Street/Broadway , with a drawbridge over the Mystic River . The Boston Elevated had long-term plans to continue this extension further north to Malden , a goal which would only be achieved decades later, under public ownership and not via the Everett route. Following a 1928 accident at

5767-441: Was improved to nine-minute headways on August 27, 2023. The "T" previously had a fleet of Pullman-Standard heavy rail cars for the Orange Line. These cars, known as 01100s, had been in service since the 1950s, and saw service on both the elevated and the northern extension before they were retired in 1981. Several remained on the property as Red Line work cars for some time before being scrapped. Units 01178-01179 are preserved at

5846-410: Was intended to remove speed restrictions and improve safety and reliability. The shutdown also gave time for more new CRRC cars to be delivered and put into service; after the closure, service on the line resumed with new trains almost all the time. However, the work was not enough to eliminate all slow zones, and temporary slow zones were added where work was performed. By early October, a round trip on

5925-404: Was made accessible in 2002. Renovations to Community College and Malden Center were completed in 2005, making the Orange Line the first of the four original MBTA subway lines to become fully accessible. In the early 2000s, Somerville began planning an infill station between Sullivan and Wellington to serve the new Assembly Square development. The $ 57 million station was funded by

6004-405: Was not accepted. The last pair, units 01280-01281, were hauled away on July 17, 2024. In late 2008, the MBTA began the planning process for new Orange and Red Line vehicles. The agency originally planned for a simultaneous order for 146 Orange Line cars (to replace the whole fleet) and 74 Red Line cars (to replace the older 1500 and 1600 series cars). A similar order was used in the late 1970s for

6083-412: Was not accessible until around 2001, when key surface stops were retrofitted with raised platforms for use with new Type 8 LRVs. In 2006, the MBTA settled a class-action lawsuit , Joanne Daniels-Finegold, et al. v. MBTA , under which the agency agreed to add redundant elevators to a number of rapid transit stations and make other accessibility improvements. Orange Line (MBTA) The Orange Line

6162-425: Was planned to have longer headways to account for the lower projected ridership. This extension was opposed by residents of Melrose who preferred restored commuter rail service. Because of this, the express track ends at Wellington and a single commuter rail track continues parallel to the Orange Line north to Reading. Construction of Interstate 95 into downtown Boston was cancelled in 1972 after local protest over

6241-566: Was replaced with buses. The extension was unique among Boston transit lines as it contained a third express track between Wellington and Community College stations. These stations, along with Sullivan Sq, have two island platform stations as opposed to the more normal single island stations found on the southern side of the Orange Line. This express track was designed for the never-built extension north of Oak Grove to Reading. The third track would have allowed peak-direction express service as well as places to terminate trains. Service north of Oak Grove

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