QUINCY, Mass. — With the very cold temperatures expected tomorrow, the MBTA is doing something a little different in an effort to stay on track during the morning rush hour.
Just a couple weeks ago, commuters saw tracks break along the Red Line, which has been a major focus of the MBTA’s $83 million winter resiliency plan. There was also an incident on th Commuter Rail line between Lawrence and Andover.
Those breaks happened during frigid temperatures, which can make the tracks brittle.
With temperatures expected to drop to dangerously cold levels Monday night, the MBTA plans to run trains on all lines without passengers in the early morning hours to keep the system moving.
Halfway through the winter, with very little snow, questions remain about the T’s performance and whether it is winning back customers’ confidence.
Governor Charlie Baker told FOX25 work has been underway for months to ensure trains run on time. But with cold causing tracks to break just two weeks ago, FOX25’s Sharman Sacchetti asked Baker what has changed since then.
“They’re pretty much out every day inspecting at various places around the system,” Baker said. “There’s tons that’s different that’s going on this year.”
FOX25 has reported on the de-icing, the new plows, new third rail, and inspection of heaters.
But as far as doing anything differently to keep the tracks from getting so brittle, the short answer is no.
“It’s pretty much the same exercise and our goal and our expectation is to minimize that over as much as we possibly can over the course of the winter,” Baker told FOX25.
One thing the governor mentioned was tracks getting brittle as a result of the cold is something that happens across the country.
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