BOSTON (WHDH) - Work on the Red Line’s Braintree branch is complete after a nearly month-long shutdown, and the MBTA said this means riders will experience more reliable trips to work or wherever it is they have to go.
Trains are back up and running between Braintree to JFK/UMass making all normal stops in between: Quincy Adams, Quincy Center, Wollaston, and North Quincy.
Part of the MBTA’s track improvement program, the work involved replacing tracks and alleviating speed restrictions, which is expected to decrease travel times by as much as 24 minutes.
Red Line commuter Alexander Jones said he’s looking forward to the improved speed and efficiency.
“I take it every day to work,” Jones said. “I’ve already noticed it’s much better, and it’s great. You don’t have to wait as long at the station. It’s just been overall a much better experience.”
“It feels like it’s already faster,” another ride told 7News. “So, it’s good.”
“The train is definitely faster,” said MBTA rider Meagan Hackey. “As you can tell they’re coming more regularly. There were periods of time where the waits were like, 20 minutes between, so it’s definitely much better.”
The T said this should mean fewer unplanned service disruptions related to older tracks and infrastructure, signal issues, and power problems.
In addition to new signal work, the T said they also upgraded amenities including improved lighting, fresh paint, and tiling.
The MBTA will have a public meeting on Tuesday for anyone with questions about the Red Line project.
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