MBTA to eliminate Green Line slow zones next month

By Vivienne Felber

From December 6th through December 20th, the Green Line will not provide train service between Medford/Tufts, Union Square, and Park St for track work. However, there are separate transportation systems you can utilize at this time. 

When trying to get to Medford/Tufts or North Station, an easier transportation option available is the shuttle bus service. However, please note that shuttles will not stop in Union Square. Instead, it is recommended to use Routes 86 and 91. For those heading to the downtown area, the Orange Line is currently operating well above requirements, according to the MBTA, making it the best option.

According to MBTA CEO Phillip Eng, the MBTA has resolved many of the issues with the new rapid-transit cars from China’s CRRC, a rolling stock manufacturer. After a revised delivery schedule was established earlier this year in March, the new equipment, part of an order for 404 Red and Orange line cars, is now arriving on time and performing reliably. 

Since the revised agreement, CRRC has met all delivery targets, and the cars are exceeding contractual performance standards, with the fleet now achieving over 200,00 miles between failures when the requirement was only 90,000 miles. Eng also noted improvements in quality and performance,  particularly with the Orange Line cars, which have led to increased service frequency and a 36% boost in weekday train service.